I Love You In Your Tragic Beauty
by Challa
Summary: Sakura gets sent on a mission to undergo training under Dr.Kureha. One day she stumbles over the torn up body of a green-haired swordsman. Deciding to nurse him back to health, she soon learns his condition is far worse than she originally thought. ZoroxSakura Warnings: Graphic Sex, OOC-ness
1. 01 - Camisado

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or One Piece. **

* * *

**Chapter 1**  
**Camisado**  
(Panic at The Disco)

* * *

He was lost. The cold wind swept viciously around him, shielding his view as he struggled to push through the knee-high snowbanks before him. The biting cold was eating away at his flesh, his bare arms icily cold as they tried to provide his equally nude chest with warmth. It was futile, he knew. Exhaustion was creeping up on him and he had no idea for how long he'd been searching for someplace to rest. The three katanas strapped to his hip scraped against the snow, staining the white with newly-shed blood while he fought his way through the frosty landscape.

They had gotten attacked in the middle of the night. Their ship torn to pieces after accidentally being steered straight into the reef where an underlaying rock had scraped open the hull of the Going Merry. The marines had chased the crew up the nearby cliffs where another platoon had been waiting to ambush the pirates. He had fended the attackers off, slicing their flesh with his beloved swords while trying to keep the marines from his Devil Fruit user of captain whom had lost consciousness when trying to reach the shore. The swordsman had somehow managed to lose track of his crew-members when fighting for his life. Heading the direction he thought they had fled to, he had ended up at an open landscape where the snow was whirling around him; the cold freezing his wet clothes as they clung to his torn up body.

Fighting the urge to give into his fatigued body, he took a couple of more steps in the freezing cold, the snow reaching higher and higher the further he walked. Glancing over his shoulder he noticed his tracks had already been covered up by the whirling snow and he cursed under his breath as he realized there was no way in hell he would make it back to his crew in this weather. He had no idea what island he was on and it irked him.

Tired eyes scanned the white area before him and he took another wobbly step forward. The ground beneath him crackled dangerously and before he had time to reflect on what was happening, he found himself falling. The snow fell around him as he tumbled down and in a desperate attempt to cling onto something, onto anything, he felt the stinging sensation of blade-sharp ice dig into his right arm: slashing his flesh open. He hissed at the pain and felt a rock or two graze his back before he collided with the ground, his head slamming into the hard ice -causing his vision to blurry. White snow turned red and he fought hard to keep himself conscious, but it was futile. The dizziness caused by the collision enveloped him in its claw-like grasp before his vessel finally gave in. As he took his final breath he thought about his goal, his crew and the gap deep within his soul that was keeping him from feeling whole, and he absentmindedly wondered if things would have been different if he'd chosen a different path entirely from the one he'd been walking so far.

The cold snow seeped into the trashed fabric of his clothes, cooling his body down slightly as if it was trying to either milk his pain or keep him alive for as long as possible. Succumbing into darkness he missed the crunching sound of footsteps coming closer to where he had fallen. Said footsteps stopped near his bleeding form and the woman whom they belonged to curtsied next to his beat up body with a suspicious yet worried expression evident on her pale face. Emerald-green eyes flickered over the males body, and instinctively she leaned over his frame to take a closer look at his wounds. Green eyes scanned his bleeding frame until she ended up looking at the two swords strapped loosely to the sash around his hips. A third sword was resting a few feet away -it's white sheath almost invisible to the naked eye in the still falling snow.

"Are you okay?" she questioned and placed a hand on his shoulder; his freezing skin cool against the warm palm of her hand. "Sir?"

The swordsman was out cold. His chest heaved slightly as he breathed, but his heartbeats were irregular and beating slower by the second, she noted. Pushing every radical thought, which told her she should leave him, into the back of her mind; she leaned over him again and wrapped his undamaged arm around her shoulders. Glancing at the almost hidden white sword, she debated weather to bring it with her or not. He was a swordsman, that much was obvious, and as the medical ninja she was, she knew how important tools were in order to succeed and how they sometimes held an emotional value to their owner. A frustrated sigh left her lips and she took four long strides in the direction of the sword. Using her foot to pick the sword up, by balancing it on the toe of her shoes, she nearly lost her footing and almost toppled over when his full weight leaned against her unsteady form. She snatched the sword into her hand and quickly wrapped her arm around his waist again and started walking toward a hidden cabin she'd inhabited for the past couple of days. It wasn't too far away, but with the added weight from the male and the biting cold roaring around them, returning there turned out to be much more difficult than she had first anticipated.

* * *

She flung the wooden door open, letting a gust of snow-mixed wind into the small cabin in the process. The ninja stumbled through the door with the unconscious male slumped against her shorter frame. She lead him to the single bed in the corner of the room and laid him down rather roughly before hurrying back to close the door where she also left the white katana. She hurried into the small kitchenette and brought out a plastic bowl from one of the cabinets. Placing it in the sink, she dashed into the washroom to get a couple of towels and her first-aid kit while water filled the bowl. She had to work fast if he was going to survive.

Throwing her cloak onto the floor and pulling her pink hair up in a ponytail she went to get the bowl and a wash-cloth before sprinting back to the bed and the unmoving male. His skin had turned a sickly pale color - lips starting to turn a light shade of blue and she knew there was a chance she might not be able to heal him.

The woman leaned over the swordsman's torn up body. Blood was gushing out from a wound on his lower abdomen and she quickly ripped the shredded shirt open to take a closer look at the wound. The sight she was met with made her insides twist. The cut was clean and probably made by a knife or a sword, but what bothered her was the purple shade covering the skin around it. He had been poisoned by the looks of it.

"Shit!" she hissed through clenched teeth and flickered her gaze up to watch the man's face. He looked peaceful. Too peaceful for her liking. "Hang in there." she mumbled and placed her hands in the bowl of water. The warm liquid heated her cool hands and she closed her eyes in concentration. '_Sorry sensei, but I have to do this.'_

Steering every thought to her hands she soon had her hands glowing in a sheen of green and a bubble of water formed itself around her right hand. Bringing both hands to the swordsman's body, she carefully set one hand over the poisoned wound while the green glow from the other hand seemed to pierce his skin as she placed that hand right above the cut. He jerked underneath her touch, eyebrows furrowing as he unconsciously responded to the pain, but she didn't notice.

Sweat formed on her brow as she concentrated on the task. She had done this twice before. The technique was one she had developed herself after studying different ways poison could attack ones body. Her eyes remained closed as she worked her chakra into the male's body and after going into cellular level, she soon enough found herself extracting the poison from the blood in his veins. The bubble got penetrated by the same green color from her left hand and a dark-purple liquid mixed with his blood squirted from the open wound and into the bubble. She moved her right hand back to the bowl and let it burst; the poisonous water splashing into the plastic container. The blood stopped flowing when his skin started to patch itself together underneath the green glow from her left hand and she flickered her gaze up to check on him. His eyes were closed, lips slightly parted and he seemed to be in pain, which was a good sign. He was still alive, but far from being safe and the cold clothes he was wearing was doing nothing in his favor.

Once the wound was closed up completely she let her hands wander to the two katanas still attached to his hip. She slid them out of the bloodstained sash he was wearing and dropped them onto the floor before tugging his wet and nearly ice-cold pants off. A clashing thump emitted from the wet trousers as they finally hit the wooden floor, exposing the unconscious male almost completely. The green sash needed to come off as well, but she left it on for now. A white towel was placed neatly over his crotch to give him some privacy and the green glow returned to her hands before she placed them methodically on his bare chest. His skin felt like ice under her touch and she furrowed her eyebrows in concentration as she prodded his body with her chakra. His heart was beating too slow and wasn't circulating enough blood to keep him warm. She moved her hands to rest above his heart and closed her eyes again as she focused on the pumping muscle beneath the tissue of flesh and bones. Sending some chakra directly into his heart, she felt him jerk underneath her again.

She wasn't supposed to do this. Her sensei had told her to keep her abilities a secret when traveling to Drum Island. She was supposed to collect rare herbs and bring them back to Konoha -her hometown in the Fire country, and undergo training under a woman called Dr. Kureha, whom she had yet to meet. She had gotten strict orders to not _under any circumstances_ expose herself like she was doing right at this moment. It would not only jeopardize her stay at the island, but could also get her into trouble with people whom were after her ability. Chakra was a rare speciality in this region unlike in her country where almost everybody had the power to use it. This land, on the other hand, had something that was rare and nearly unheard of in her own country. An unique species of fruit going under the name _Devil Fruit_ could be found in the region she found herself currently in. Said fruits held the gift to give their eater an extraordinary power and she had heard rumors of fire breathing people, lightning wielders, those with super speed and the ability to manipulate their bodies into different materials. She had yet to meet any of those but she figured they rarely showed off their powers unless it was absolutely needed, much like she was doing herself right now.

A pained groan from the male brought her back from her musings and she stopped the flow of chakra momentarily but kept her hands on his chest as her green eyes studied his face. His eyes were still closed and she noted a bit of color returning to his otherwise deathly pale skin. He trembled slightly and she hurriedly covered his close to nude form with a nearby comforter. Rising to her feet she backed away quickly, heading to the fireplace situated to the right of the kitchenette. Kneeling down before the stone-clad opening, she hurriedly stuffed a couple of firewood bars in a neat heap and lit the dried wood with one of the matches she had found in the kitchen upon arriving at the cottage four days prior. She blew onto the flames and waited for the wood to start burning before returning to the bedside to continue her session with the swordsman.

Half-dried blood was covering nearly half of his head and as she leaned in closer to inspect the area she realized he must have hit his head before she found him. She angled his head to the side and reached for another towel which she pressed against his head-wound. She needed to clean it in order to see what she had to work with and so, she headed to the kitchen again to get another bowl of water.

Warmth was beginning to spread throughout the small cabin. The crackling from the fire and the occasional hisses from the burning wood was rather relaxing. She would have to find more wood later since there wasn't much left for her to use. But that would have to wait. First she needed to stabilize the foreign man's condition. Re-entering the living area she noticed said man shivering heavily underneath the blanket she had covered him with. His body had most likely gone into shock, which she guessed would be normal considering the trauma he had gone through. Placing the bowl onto the bedside table, she reached for the wash-cloth she had brought earlier and removed the towel from the side of his face. Warmth soaked the cloth as she dipped it into the water and she carefully wrung the excess water out of it before placing it against the side of his skull. He hissed as the soft fabric came into contact with his wound and she found herself apologizing even though she knew he probably couldn't hear her.

Once the blood was dried off, she pressed the towel against his skull again and reached for her first-aid kit. Sanitizing another piece of cloth she went to remove the bloodstained towel and pressed the compress against his bleeding injury. She then stuffed her hand into the medical-pouch she always wore around her hips and brought out a roll of bandages which she carefully wound around the green-haired swordsman's head to make sure the compress stayed in place. Her eyes scanned his unconscious frame and she noticed his shivering had gone down. Color was beginning to spread over his face and it pleased her since it meant she was doing things right. Perhaps he'd make it after all.

A long cut was lining his right arm, going from his shoulder, down his bicep and ending just above his elbow. She wrung the cloth free of water again and went to clean the wound when he suddenly stirred. Dark eyes shot from left to right in a panicked state and he tried to sit up, but she quickly got onto her feet and pushed him back down.

"You need to lay still," she ordered. Emerald eyes soft yet stern as she pinned him down. Water splashed onto the floor as she accidentally knocked the bedside table over when rising from her previous position on the floor, but she ignored it. "You are hurt. Please let me help you." she added and watched him as he seemed to look for the person whose voice he was hearing.

Dark eyes finally landed on her face and his black orbs narrowed a fraction as he tried to focus on the person hovering over him.

"Please relax." she requested, her voice barely a whisper and she placed her hand gently against his cold cheek.

His left hand shot up as her fingers brushed against his skin and he grasped her wrist in a death-like hold, prying her hand away from his face and he swiftly sat up anyway. "Wh-who are you?" he stuttered, his eyes flickering from left to right as he seemed to search for her face again; nearly doubling over as a horrendous shot of pain raked through his body. He felt dizzy, nauseous even and the blood hammering in his ears with every beat of his heart caused him to lift his free hand up to support his bandaged head as it suddenly turned out to be very painful to sit in that compromising position.

The ninja staggered, taking an uneasy step away from the green-haired man. "Sa-Sakura. My name is Sakura." she retorted and snatched her hand back, rubbing her wrist with her other hand to get some circulation back into it.

Twisting his head toward the sound of her voice, his eyes landed on a spot behind her and he narrowed his eyes as he tried to focus on his surroundings. "Sa-ku-ra." his voice came out hoarse and she found herself nodding her head in approval. '_His vision must be really bad.'_ she pondered and concluded it must be an aftereffect of his head-injury.

"Yes. Now please lay down." she requested again, her voice soft and calm - a complete contrast to how she felt on the inside.

The green-haired man seemed to contemplate her request and after a moment of silence he gave a slight nod and laid back down onto the mattress with a pained expression on his face.

"Thank you," she spoke softly and stepped closer to the bed again. "You're injured." she stated and let her fingers slide down his wounded arm, inspecting the wound closely. It had stopped bleeding but would leave an ugly scar if she left it as it was. "Don't move." she ordered and picked the now empty bowl off the floor and headed to the kitchen a third time to fill it with fresh water.

Peeking at him from around the doorway to the kitchen, she furrowed her brows in wonder. His reaction worried her. His vision, or lack thereof nagged in the back of her skull and an uneasy feeling fell heavily deep inside of her gut. She had seen enough injuries to know that somethings were still impossible for her to fix considering the medical-level she was currently at. Sure, she had been training under Tsunade, one of the three legendary sannin in her home-country. But even though she only had two years of intense training under her belt; those two years had consisted of so much more than medical training. Tsunade had gone all out on her numerous times to prepare her for battle. An injured medic was a dead medic, and a dead medic could not heal her teammates. And so, focusing on her combat skills had been the elderly woman's first priority. Sakura had yet to learn how to manipulate her chakra perfectly in order to go through with precise surgery that would be required if one were to fix someone's eyes. Mending new flesh or extracting poison on a cellular level wasn't that difficult once she had gotten a hang on it, but it had required time, effort and countless of sleepless nights where she had been locked up in her room with books stacked from the floor to the roof. Raking a hand through the loose strands of her pink bangs, she sighed frustratingly. Maybe she was just over-thinking things. The dripping of water suddenly reached her ears and she quickly turned to the direction of the sink. The plastic bowl she had set to fill was over-pooling and water was now running over the edge of the bowl and onto the wooden floor.

"Nice going, idiot." she scolded herself and hurried to turn the stream of water off.

Her boots squeaked as the wet soles thumped against the floor when she headed back to the bed and she sighed heavily as she curtsied next to the passed out male. This whole thing was such a mess.

* * *

The swordsman was out cold for the next two days. He had developed a high fever during the night she had found him, which had forced the medic to stay awake in case it would escalate into something more serious. She had refrained from using chakra to heal him, telling herself he would be fine on his own, and he had been. Sakura had strolled around the territory surrounding the cottage to collect juniper and thistle which she had let simmer in hot water to create a healing tea for the swordsman. Finding the thistle had been tricky, but not impossible. The ninja had even chopped up some wood with an axe she had found in a nearby shed and had managed to stock up on said material to last them at least two weeks.

Her boots sunk into the heavy snow as she made her way back to the cabin. She had taken a walk to the nearest village to get groceries, clothes for the swordsman and to see if she could find this Dr. Kureha. The villagers had acted nervous when the pink-haired ninja walked down the hectic streets. Odd looks and whispers had reached her as she had gone from the only clothing store to the market, but she had ignored it with a faked smile on her lips. An elderly woman had pointed her in the direction of six drum-shaped mountains, telling the medic she would find Kureha in a castle on one of them. Sakura had thanked the lady for the help and had retreated back to walk the snowy path she had came from with her new items resting in a large paper-bag she carried in front of her lithe frame. '_I should rent a sleigh.'_ she mulled as she felt her feet sinking further down into the cold dunes.

The cabin came into view a while later and she found herself sighing in relief. White smoke was escaping through the small chimney and she gave a small smile of approval. At least _he_ wouldn't be cold.

Dusting her snowy feet off outside of the door, she gently pushed the door open with her hip and entered the warm cabin. A content sigh escaped her lips as she welcomed the pleasurable heat. Nudging the door closed, she felt her senses go off in alarm as the cold steel of a katana suddenly pressed hard against her throat, and she froze momentarily; eyes widening in shock as she let go of the paper-bag.

"Who are you?" a deep voice asked from behind her and she felt their warmth seep into her frozen back from the close proximity of their frame.

She swallowed hard, her hand sneaking down toward the kunai she always left hidden in her medical-pouch. "H-haruno Sakura," she stuttered and fingered the metal in her pouch.

"Sa-ku-ra," he addressed her and pressed the sharp blade harder against her creamy white throat as he leaned in closer, his breath fanning over her left ear. "What did you do to me?"

Licking her lips nervously she gripped the kunai in her hand, readying herself to strike. "I- I healed you."

The blade left her neck, grazing the milky skin ever so slightly as he pushed her forward and away from his frame. She turned to face him fully, bringing the kunai up in a defensive pose in the process. Another gasp left her lips as her eyes fell on the green-haired swordsman. His hair was a ruffled mess underneath the layer of bandages she had wrapped around his head. His dark eyes were watching her intensely. His bare chest glistened in the flickering lights of the fireplace. The katana in his hand pointed down at the floor as he held it in his injured arm. The bandage she had wrapped around the large slash was slightly stained as he had clearly put too much pressure on the still healing wound by wielding the sword.

The next three words he said made her heart drop and she carelessly lowered her kunai. Every fear regarding her own life flew out the door when he asked her his question.

Dark eyes locked onto green ones and he frowned as he searched her face for an answer. "Who am _I_?"

* * *

**A/N: **I just felt the need to clarify that this story will not follow any timeline from neither Naruto nor One Piece. I recently started watching OP and just finished the Skypiea arc, so there's still a lot of stuff I have yet to see.

Reviews are more than welcome - constructive criticism as well.

Got any questions, concerns or any form of input, don't hesitate to contact me.


	2. 02 - REALiTi

**Chapter 2**  
**REALiTi**  
(Grimes)

* * *

Sakura blanched. She had no idea how to answer this stranger's question. She had taken care of him for two and a half days without knowing anything about him.

"I, uh…" she started, but had to stop herself as she didn't know how to go on.

His black eyes watched her intensely and he gripped the katana in his hand harder, his knuckles turning white as he did so.

"Where am I?"

The grip around her kunai tightened in return, and she readied herself to go into defense if needed to. "Drum island."

He fingered the hilt of his sword, brushing his thumb over the clothed handle before releasing it slightly and letting it fall against his bent fingers.

"I found you in the snow. You were badly injured so I brought you here to patch you up."

"Why?" The edge of his sword grazed the wooden floor when he lowered it another two inches.

Her eyes narrowed as she formulated a reply in her mind. She didn't know why she had saved him. He had been hurt and the medic in her had taken over, like it usually did when she saw people in pain. Revealing her status as a ninja could put her in danger, so she decided to keep that bit of information from the swordsman, just to play it safe. "I'm currently undergoing training to become a doctor."

"A doctor?" he questioned with a slender eyebrow arching ever so slightly in suspicion.

"…yes."

Green eyes clashed with black ones once again and she realized she had taken two steps toward the green-haired man. His grip on the katana tightened as he raised it slowly. Sakura noticed and stopped dead in her tracks.

"I'm not going to hurt you." her voice was soft with an underlying tone of uncertainty.

Suspicion radiated from the man in front of her but he gave a slight nod anyway and leaned the sword against the wall behind him. She repeated his gesture by pocketing her own kunai and was about to close the distance between them when her foot suddenly got caught on the up-until-now forgotten bag of groceries she had brought with her from town, and she found herself falling through the air as she lost her footing.

Her eyes closed as she readied herself for the harsh impact, but it never came. Instead she felt something warm and firm circle itself around her waist. Opening her eyes in alarm, she found herself staring at a toned, bare chest. Her eyes flickered to the pair of black eyes and she involuntary let out a shaky gasp while her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. '_So much for being a ninja,' _she thought darkly and twisted her leg for support as she steadied herself in his hold. Her eyes swept over his half-naked frame while he helped her to her feet and her eyes landed on the bandaged wound on his arm which had gone from off-white to red in a matter of seconds.

Grabbing a hold of his wrist, she twisted his arm slightly to inspect the newly-opened wound. A scowl was evident on her face and she clicked her tongue in irritation.

"Idiot! You should have let me fall. What the hell were you thinking?!" she scolded and glared at the green-haired male while tracing a finger over the bloodied bandage.

A dark eyebrow rose slightly before he frowned at the pinkette.

"This needs to be changed," she continued and pulled at his arm as a sign for him to follow.

"It's fine." he grumbled and snatched his hand back.

She shot him a dark look and went to get a chair from the kitchenette. "Sit." she ordered and went to get her first-aid kit.

"I said it's fine." he repeated with a hint of irritation lacing his words and took a moment to peer around the small cabin.

It was lightly furnished, he noted. A bed sat at the far corner of the room with a small bedside table next to it. There was a small open space by the footing of the bed where an old recliner was occupying a small space with its back against the corner of the room. A notebook laid on top of a light grey blanket on top of the recliner and he guessed it belonged to Sakura. A slim door was a few feet from the recliner and knew it held a small kitchenette since he had explored that part of the cabin when waking up in the empty cabin earlier. The kitchenette held the necessities; a fire-driven stove with two stove-plates, a sink, three cabinets containing plates, pots and the usual stuff belonging in a kitchen. He had also seen that the kitchen held one of the three windows in the cabin and a squared table for two situated directly by it.

A fireplace was to the right of the kitchen with enough place to hold a small pile of wood next to it. Then came a small, squared hallway leading to the front door. The washroom was to the left when he had stood with his back to the front door and he had explored that area as well before Sakura had arrived. It contained a petite tub which was big enough to shower in but not to take a bath in. A cream-colored curtain was messily pulled to one side near it. A worn out basin rested between the tub and the toilet and across the room from the basin were four long shelves horizontally adorning the wall with some bed-linen, towels, toiletries, a first-aid kit and some dark clothes. He had also found various rare-looking weapons and an odd-looking headband with a metal-plate adorned by a swirly arrow carved into it.

To the right of the washroom was another recliner. Next to it was a candelabra and a medium sized bookshelf full of various titles and volumes. He felt no interest in investigating the books and let his eyes wander to the window next to the bookshelf instead. Crossing the room he slowly pulled the flowery curtain away and found himself staring into an endless scenery of white. A hint of exasperation fluttered to life deep within him. He didn't known why, but was sure he would understand things sooner or later. Below the window was a rounded table and on top of it was a few candles waiting to get lit.

His eyes fell onto two swords stacked in a pile on the floor to the right of the round table. A green fabric was folded neatly on top of the swords and then, next to the weapons the bedside table came into view. The open space in the middle of the room was mostly covered by a rug in golds and browns which did nothing to contribute to any sort of contrast to the dark wooden walls nor floor.

Sakura exited the small washroom a moment later with the small box in her hands.

"What are you doing?" she questioned, obviously irritated he hadn't followed her order.

The swordsman turned his head to regard the woman and nodded his head toward the swords on the floor. "What's with all the weapons?" he asked and went to sit on the chair she had provided him with earlier.

Sakura fell into a slow pace, her eyes flickering to the swords and the green sash before resting on the male in front of her again. "They're yours." she stated and noticed his brows furrowing in confusion. "I mean, you had them on you when I found you, so I assumed they belonged to you."

Crouching down next to him, she reached a hand up and started undoing the wrappings around his arm.

"And the white one?"

"The white one is yours as well."

The swordsman nodded slowly, searching his mind for any clue or recognition, but found none.

Sakura let the bloodied bandages drop onto the floor and sighed as she inspected the wound. It was infected, she noticed. Blood mixed with puss were seeping through his flesh and had she been a lesser girl, she probably would have thrown up at the sight. Her fingers were itching to use chakra, to use her medic-powers to stitch his flesh together and rid him of any pain, but she knew she couldn't afford to slip up. Not now. Not when he was awake. Reaching into the small box, she unpacked a sanitizing wipe and pressed it onto his wound. The male hissed and visibly clenched his teeth together as the wipe made contact with his irritated skin.

"Sorry," she offered and added some pressure onto the wound, partly to stop the bleeding but also to force as much puss out as possible.

He said nothing while she patched him up, but did turn his head to watch her slick hands move expertly over his wounded arm. She had clearly done this before.

"All set." she smiled once she had finished wrapping his arm up in a new and clean bandage, and she peered up at him through her dark eyelashes.

He regarded her for a moment before flexing his hand to test the bindings and to make sure they didn't hinder his movement. His eyes fell on the pink haired woman again and he caught her eyes roaming his bare chest and the scar that ran diagonally from his shoulder down to his right hip. Her bottom lip was sucked in between her teeth as she bit down onto the pink flesh and he suddenly found himself staring into a pair of clear green eyes. A faint blush tinted his cheeks as he realized the tables were turned and she had caught him staring at her.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance and went to stand up. '_Witch.'_ he thought and carried the chair into the kitchen. Sakura followed his example and packed her medical stuff back together before rising onto her feet, heading to the washroom.

"There are clothes for you in the paper-bag," she called out as she placed the first-aid kit back up on the shelf.

Her eyes fell onto her collection of weapons and she cursed herself for leaving them out in the open like that. '_What the hell was I_ _thinking?!'_ she asked herself and let her fingers brush over her shuriken. Of course he would find out about her status as a ninja when she left her shit out for him to see. '_Damnit.'_ Placing a white, fluffy towel on the toilet lid, she grabbed a handful of her weapons along with the headband and placed them on top of the towel before tying the ends together and placing her makeshift pack at the bottom of the pile of towels. If he was gonna snoop around, he'd have to work hard to find them again.

She exited the bathroom a second time and noticed the bag of groceries was gone from the hallway. Making her way toward the kitchen, she almost crashed into her newest patient as she turned the corner.

"Sorry," she muttered and took a few steps back to allow him to leave the small space.

As he passed her by she couldn't help but smile at his now clothed frame. The clothes she had gotten her hands on fit him pretty well. A pair of dark grey sweatpants hung loosely over his his hips and pooled slightly at his bare feet. And the thin, grey shirt clung entrancingly to his toned chest. There had not been much to choose from, she had realized when going through the clothes at the market. In fact, most items seemed to be limited or she had chosen a day when they were waiting to restock their supplies. She wasn't sure which applied.

"Thanks for the clothes." his deep baritone voice thanked her, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"No problem," she replied and entered the small kitchen-area. The swordsman had left the bag of groceries on the squared table, so she dug into it and started unpacking her findings. "I'd like to check on your head-injury later." she called out as she unpacked the groceries and organized them on the table. The swordsman didn't reply but she knew he had heard her.

She had found a book specializing on head-trauma in the bookshelf by coincidence and was dying to try out one or two of the theories stated in the thick volume. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that she would experiment on someone without chakra or the challenge in itself that excited her more. As a medic-ninja everything revolved around perfect chakra-control and the ability to use healing ninjutsu, and while she found that to be fulfilling and a great asset, she still wanted to learn more and wanted to broaden her repertoire.

Sakura had been thrilled when Tsunade had voiced the opportunity to travel to Drum Island and she had felt privileged to have even been considered in the first place. Dr. Kureha was an old acquaintance of her sensei and a woman Sakura had realized Tsunade thought very highly of, which could only mean she was skilled at whatever it was she was doing. However, as refreshing the chance to explore a whole new place was, Sakura could name three downsides to her travel so far:  
1\. The two month journey by sea had been exhausting. Being stuck on a restricted area for two whole months had been nerve racking for the ninja whom was used to being able to move around freely. The Marines had been checking in on them constantly and had been warning them of the pirates ruling the oceans around the small islands. While she could hold her own against most civilians, the fact that these oceans held Devil Fruit users unnerved her. As for the pirates, she had yet to meet any, but hoped deep down they would stay far away from her during her visit.  
2\. Tsunade had left out any information about her current whereabouts and Drum Island's climate. Now, Sakura had nothing against snow, but having no suitable clothing nor shoes before going ashore on an island where it was winter all year around had pissed the ninja off. Her economical situation was limited since she did not know for how long she would be staying, and a rather large amount of beri had gone toward a whole new wardrobe to keep the kunoichi warm.  
3\. Then there was the fact she had yet to meet this new sensei of hers. Dr. Kureha was impossible to find and Sakura had been lucky enough to get to stay in an old hunting lodge outside of town until Kureha were to return. It had been a pain in the ass to get to the cabin at first, but once she had found it she had fallen in love with the small house. As she had learned earlier that day, Dr. Kureha was now back in her castle and once the swordsman was well enough, the ninja planned to visit the older lady.

After stuffing everything into the fridge and into the pantry, Sakura finally left the kitchen and found the swordsman sitting in front of the fireplace, studying one of the two katana she had previously left near the bed. He was examining it closely, almost as if memorizing every detail of it.

Sakura leaned against the wall next to the fireplace and watched him as he flipped the sword from one side to another before running a finger over the sharp slightly curved blade.

"How are you feeling?" she asked quietly, completely mesmerized by how he was handling the blade.

"Fine." he stated and held the sword straight out in front of him; the edge of the sword pointing toward the fire as he looked over the blue-tinted flames adorning the length of the blade.

"That's a nice-looking sword." she complimented and slowly made her way to his side.

"It's cursed." he retorted without taking his eyes off of the blade.

"Oh?" she questioned and crouched down next to him, but he didn't deliberate.

She raised her hands up and started undoing the bandages around his head. He stilled the movement of the sword as she worked on untying the knot of the bandages before letting them slide down to pool in his lap. Her fingers brushed through his green hair as she searched for the cut that seemed to hold the information regarding his memory-loss, and she found herself liking how soft his hair felt as it slid through her fingers.

He felt her touch turning more lovingly as she ran her fingers through his short hair before she started massaging his scalp. Although surprised, he said nothing to hinder her. After all, he felt unusually good having someone care for him even though that was something he would never admit out loud. His eyes fell on the dancing flames in front of him, and he hummed softly as he relished in the touch of Sakura's fingers while trying hard to remember something, anything.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Her voice reached his ears in a soft tone as she neared the bruised part of his skull.

He hissed as she separated the hair around the bruise, feeling jolts of pain course through his head and he understood she had taken that time to ask a question in order to distract him from the pain.

"Right now, nothing." he stated through gritted teeth and shifted uncomfortably as another jolt of pain exploded through his head. Clenching his teeth together to keep himself from swearing, he suddenly felt a soothing cold pressing at the back of his head where she held one of her hands. The sensation felt oddly familiar.

"Oi, what are you doing?" he questioned suspiciously and turned his head slightly, and just like that, the cool sensation stopped.

'_Shit, that was close.'_ she thought as she met his gaze full on. Deciding to play dumb she tilted her head slightly to the side. "Hm?"

A dark brow arched above his eye and he scrutinized her with a distrustful look on his face. Just who was this woman with her odd-looking weapons and medical knowledge? Was she a friend or a foe? Deciding to let it go for now, he turned to face the flames again and felt her pull at some strands of hair which had him cursing out loud in pain.

"Sorry," she apologized. "There's hairs stuck in the dried blood and I need to…" she trailed off and angled his head to the side to get a better look at the wound.

The skin around it was swollen and discolored, and she knew he was hurting badly. She had also sensed a fever in his system. Albeit small, it could still jeopardize his health if she probed around too much, so she decided to wait with the examination. Resisting the urge to let her chakra soothe his aching head she headed to the washroom to get the first-aid kit so she could patch him up together.

The swordsman sat patiently and waited for the woman to return. His eyes were back on the sword and he found himself asking why he was in possession of such an malicious weapon. The craving for blood oozed through the steel, and his thoughts went to the prickling sensation he had felt in his fingers when running them over the blade earlier. _Just who was he?_ He heard the water running from the washroom and the soft creaking of the door as Sakura pushed it open. A hand was suddenly resting on his shoulder and he looked at the pink-haired woman from the corner of his eyes while wondering how it was that she made almost no sound when walking.

"This might hurt a little." he heard her say before a cold towel was pressed against his throbbing head.

Her hand had returned to the nape of his neck and he felt her fingers play with his hair once again. The gesture sent a pleasurable tingle through his skull, which was a nice contrast to the constant pain he felt otherwise. The towel ended up on the floor moments later and her voice reached his ears again.

"Could you place your hand here, please?" she asked quietly and softly tapped a finger to his head.

Doing as he was told, he soon felt her smaller hand take a hold of his and directed it to where she wanted it. His fingers brushed against something soft but with a slightly rugged surface and he presumed it was a gauze or something similar.

"Keep pressure on it, please." she added and he felt her shift by his side before her arm came into view in front of his face. "I'm sorry, but I need-…" he heard her mutter before he felt the warmth radiating from her clothed chest mere inches away from the side of his face as she leaned in closer in an attempt to find the right angle for the bandages. The inside of her right knee brushed against his abdomen as she rested her leg on top of his thigh. He stiffened momentarily at her sudden proximity. Had he been any lesser male, and without the pounding in his head, he probably would have taken advantage of the compromising position he currently found himself in.

Sakura shifted her weight onto her other leg moments later and he caught himself letting out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. The soft fabric of the bandages wrapped around his fingers and then she was pressing herself against his side again as she swept the bandages around his head a second time.

"You can let go now," she commented and tightened the wrappings around his head to keep the gauze in place when his hand finally let go of it. "Thanks." she added and circled the bandages around his skull a third time before tightly securing them in a messy knot.

Beaming with satisfaction, she leaned back slightly, seemingly oblivious to how her closeness had affected her patient. A frown adorned the swordsman's features and he went back to watch the flames, but soon found himself looking into deep pools of green since his self-proclaimed doctor had moved to sit in front of him.

"I just have to ask," she started with a thoughtful look on her face. "How is your eyesight? Have you noticed any change in it since you woke up?"

Raising a brow at her in confusion he noticed a hint of uncertainty flicker through her eyes.

"I mean," she began hesitantly and settled back onto her bent legs, "you were quite out of it when I found you, and when you stirred you seemed to have trouble pinpointing where my voice came from, so I thought…" she continued and started fiddling with her hands in her lap. "So I thought perhaps the blow had affected your eyes as well, which would be tricky for me to-…" Green eyes met black again and in a fleeting moment her uncertainty was replaced by unwavering determination. "-to heal. Not that I wouldn't try my best, of course."

"Tch," he huffed with a hint of a grin as he looked her over. She had gone from insecure to determined in a matter of seconds and he found himself wondering once again just who this woman, sitting in front of him, was. He found her intriguing for some reason. "Things were blurry when I first woke up, but I see just fine now."

Sakura nodded once and offered a small smile. "Good."

Heading toward the bed, she started peeling the sheets and covers off of the mattress. "I'm changing these and then I want you in bed. I've concluded you have a concussion and a fever, so it would be better for your rehabilitation if you moved around as little as possible."

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I'm fine."

The glare she sent him told him otherwise and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. '_Witch.'_ Sheathing his sword he then headed toward the unmade bed and leaned the katana against the bedside table. The pounding in his head got worse the second he started moving around and he silently agreed that resting might not be such a bad idea after all.

"Do you like soup?" he heard her call from the washroom.

"I guess."

The pink haired medic returned seconds later with clean bed-linen which she used to make the bed. The swordsman regarded her from the side and he could tell by the way she moved she had done this many times before. Once satisfied with with her work, Sakura headed to the kitchen to prepare their meal, and the green-haired man took that moment to lay down. He would not sleep, he decided as he listened to the clanking of pots and the chopping of vegetables sounding from the kitchen. No, he would just close his eyes for a moment and hoped that would kill the constant pounding in his head. The smell from the kitchen reached him where he lay in bed, and the mixture of the aromas and the sounds triggered something in the back of his mind as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The sounds of cannons rung in his ears as he desperately tried to cling onto the slippery rocks. The water was freezing cold and as he tried to keep his head above the violent waves, his lungs stung from the lack of oxygen he had exposed them to. He had no idea where they had come from. The marines had never been this skilled at sneaking up on them before and he wondered idly how it had happened.

Another wave crashed down on him, and he felt his only form of security slip from his grasp as the waves sent him further in toward land.

"ZORO!" a voice yelled from afar, but he could not make out which direction it came from.

A lifeless body swept by, lead by the down current before another wave crashed down on it and sent it into the depths of the ice-cold ocean.

"ZORO!" he heard again and the sound of a gun going off not too far away from where he was, echoed through the cliffs.

He began to swim. His arms pushed through the water as he tried to ride with the waves when a down current sucked him underwater. Panic coursed through his cold body as he fought against it, kicking and trying his hardest to reach the surface again when an arm suddenly grasped his shoulder.

"Greenie!" he heard a muffled voice call. "Wake up."

The grip on his shoulder tightened and he forced his eyes to open.

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked as she leaned over him. Her green eyes were big and full of worry as they peered down at him.

"Shit." he groaned hoarsely and slapped a hand over his face before trying to sit up but failing miserably.

The pink-haired woman hurried to help and handed him a glass of water when he was finally in a seated position. "Are you okay?" she asked again and watched him as he downed the cool liquid.

Sighing and placing the now empty glass on the bedside table next to him, he nodded slightly. "Yeah…"

"What happened?" she asked and sat down on the edge of the bed, near his knees.

Pinching the bridge of his nose to still the pounding in his head, he then shook his head slightly. "There was water. Lots of it. And cold…"

She regarded him quietly, giving him time to collect his thoughts.

"And someone was yelling."

"What were they yelling?" she asked softly.

He sighed again and closed his eyes in concentration. "I don't know… Greenie?"

The woman before him chuckled at that so he lifted his gaze to look at her. "That was probably me." she retorted sheepishly with a slight blush tinting her cheeks.

"Tch." he huffed with a humorous glint in his eye.

"Soup is ready." she motioned to the steaming bowl next to his empty glass before reaching for it and getting off the bed. "It's also getting late, so I suggest you try to get some more sleep once you've eaten up."

"I'd rather not," he grumbled darkly.

Deciding not to question him further, Sakura headed back into the kitchen to grab a bowl of soup of her own and to refill his glass. If dreaming would help him remember, she would have to make sure he would sleep as much as possible. But considering the muffled groans of agony she had heard from him in his sleeping state, she could only imagine what he had gone through before she had found him.

She left his refilled glass of water on the bedside table again and went to sit in the recliner by the foot of the bed as they ate in silence.

It wasn't until she heard the creaking of the bed as he shifted from his sitting position to laying down that she was brought back to reality. Letting out a quiet sigh, she picked up his empty bowl and headed back into the kitchen to leave his and hers in the sink. She refilled his glass again, in case he would get thirsty during the night, and then went into the washroom to change into something warmer to sleep in and to get an extra blanket. The cabin had a tendency to get cold during the nights even with the fire going. Once satisfied with her new outfit consisting of a pair of black slacks and a wool sweater, she re-entered the living area and piled up some more wood in the fireplace. Sitting down in the recliner once again with her legs resting comfortably against the armrest, she then pulled the blanket over her tired frame and closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" the swordsman asked grumpily from where he was laying in bed. One eye peered at her through his dark eyelashes while the other one was covered by the fluffy pillow he currently had his head on.

"I'm trying to sleep and you're interfering." she answered in a tired voice.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance and patted the spot next to him, which was closest to the wall. "Come." he ordered.

Sakura raised a slender brow in suspicion.

"What use are you to me if you're not getting enough sleep?" he questioned and patted the same spot once again.

"I'll be fine." she muttered and closed her eyes again. "Now go to sleep."

"Witch," she heard him curse under his breath before the bed creaked again as he moved to a more comfortable position.

Or so she thought anyway, until a pair of arms lifted her up and carried her to the bed.

"What the hell?!" she exclaimed shockingly as her rear made contact with the soft mattress. "Are you insane? You can't just go and pick people up with those injuries of yours." she added angrily and hurried to examine the infected gash on his arm and only then noticing he was just wearing his trousers. Resisting the urge to ogle his athletic form, she ran her fingers up his arm until they reached the bandages around the slash. The bandages were still intact and the wound didn't seem to have re-opened. "Idiot!"

He sat down on the bed again and gritted his teeth in pain as the pounding in his head was still going full throttle. "Just go to bed, woman." he growled and laid back down.

Huffing in annoyance, Sakura laid down as well. He did have a point regarding her current sleep-deprived state, but this was against all doctor/patient rules. Sighing in irritation, Sakura sat up again and tugged the wool-sweater off of her. Sleeping with it on would be too hot now that she was sharing a bed with another human, and before she slid in under her blanket, she pulled her sweats off as well, leaving her in nothing but her underwear and a long tank top.

"Keep your hands to yourself." she growled and turned her back to the swordsman.

"Just go to sleep, Sakura."

"Idiot."

"…witch."

* * *

Around three hours later, Sakura woke up to the male beside her groaning in agony. Turning to face him, she saw him furrowing his brows in pain while he thrashed his head from left to right as he was dreaming.

"Shit," she muttered and reached out to wake him up when his hand suddenly clasped around her wrist. Squealing in surprise she tried backing away but was hindered by the wall behind her.

"Zoro!" he stated hoarsely as he stared at her and slowly loosened the grip around her wrist.

"What?" she asked, clearly dumbfounded.

"My name… is… Zoro." he whispered before passing out.

"Shit!"

* * *

**A/N:** Don't we all just love cliffhangers? :p

I don't like to beg for reviews, but as a writer, feedback does keep me motivated and I do want to know what _you_ as the reader think of the story so far. Constructive criticism is more than welcome, but so is "Hey, I liked this chapter". If you happen to dislike it, letting me know that as well is more than fine. I can handle it ^^


	3. 03 - Hotter Than Fire

**Chapter 3**  
**Hotter than Fire**  
(Eric Saade feat. Dev)

* * *

Sakura scrambled out of bed in a hurry and bolted to the washroom to get the first-aid kit. She had no idea what had happened, but had a feeling Zoro wouldn't make it through the night if she didn't do anything to at least try to help him. Dashing across the living area and back to the bed again, the ninja pushed the male further toward the side she had been sleeping on to make room for herself by his side. A trail of blood trickled from his nose and the sight of it made Sakura go full-on-medic-mode. She knew she would be risking the whole mission by exposing herself like she was about to do, but with her mind set on the swordsman, she would take whatever hit may come her way.

Channeling healing-chakra to her hands, she placed them tenderly against his temples. His skin burned under her touch but she barely noticed. The soft green color from her now glowing hands illuminated the small cottage. The medic closed her eyes and focused on her chakra as it penetrated the swordsman's skin.

The inside of his skull was a complicated mess, she noticed as she let her chakra slide along his nervous system. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before; with knots, turns and microscopical dents that would take her down to a cellular level if she decided to explore them further. The amount of blood vessels and threads running along the insides of his brain was unnerving and she retracted her hands for a second with a frown set on her face. This was way too far beyond her current medical-level and she had absolutely no idea what she had gotten herself into. Not quite ready to give up on him yet, she tilted his head to the side and placed a hand directly over the bruised part of his head and channeled chakra to her hands again. It soaked through the bandages and the gauze before infiltrating his skin.

She was met with blood. Lots and lots of blood caused by what seemed to be damaged blood vessels. Her eyes widened in realization. This was something she could fix! She had skimmed through a chapter about _Brain Hemorrhage_ in the book she had found a day prior and by the looks of the damage he had sustained, this seemed to be just that. Brain hemorrhage could very well go hand in hand with his concussion. After all, both traumas were caused by a rough blow to ones head. Suddenly, it all made sense to the pink-haired woman and a ghost of a smile washed over her features. The amnesia and temporary loss of vision were most definitely side-effects of it all as well, not to mention the fever which she had originally thought was caused by the infected gash on his arm. Her green eyes shifted to inspect his face while she slowly withdrew her hands from his head wound. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead and a troubled frown had appeared on his unconscious face.

"Just what have you gone through…?" she murmured softly as she studied his features.

His dark, highly arched brows were a nice contrast to his moss-colored, green hair. Dark lashes rimmed his closed eyelids which were currently hiding his black eyes that seemed to hold so much depth and determination. His straight nose was on the slimmer side -compared to most men she had seen on this island, as it protruded slightly in between his high cheekbones. His lips were neither thick nor thin and she had noticed the corners of them pointed downward most of the time, which had a tendency to made him look a tad bit angry. Her eyes flickered to his strong jaw which went to a squared-shaped chin in a slightly angular way. Reaching a hand out, she carefully wiped the blood from his nose with a cloth from her first-aid kit.

Zoro's broad shoulders caught her attention next and she found herself reaching a hand out toward the scar that ran diagonally across his front before she stopped herself, suddenly reminded of his head-injury. A hint of a blush spread over her cheeks and she scolded herself for losing focus on the real problem at hand. Shaking her head, she reached for her blanket and slid down onto the floor. She pushed the nightstand further away from the bed and placed the blanket on the floor so she could sit in a more comfortable position when working on his injury. She then lifted her hands to the side of his head once again and channeled chakra to them.

She could do this. She would not fail.

* * *

Zoro woke up hours later to the cooling sensation of winter. A stream of light shone in through the kitchen window, but didn't quite reach him where he laid on the bed. Throwing an arm tiredly over his eyes, he made a mental note that the throbbing in his head was not as severe as it had been before he had gone to bed. In fact, he could barely feel it at all. His other hand grasped around the covers and he lazily pulled at them to shield his body from the cold. The blanket didn't budge. Furrowing his brows in irritation he made another, rougher attempt at covering his bare chest by the soft material and felt a slight brush of movement over his lower abdomen. He stiffened, his eyes widening. Lifting his arm, he peeked down his chest and found a slender hand resting on top of his stomach.

"Huh?" he questioned hoarsely while one of his brows arched slightly in confusion.

Lifting his head a little, he saw a mess of pink hair draped over the face of a sleeping woman near his right hip. The hand on his abdomen belonged to the female and he took a moment to regard her sleeping form before trying to sit up. The hand slid off the lower part of his stomach and onto the mattress, and he watched her quietly as she tucked her hand underneath her head where her other one and parts of his blanket were acting as a pillow. A frown made its way onto his face as he realized she was sitting on the floor. The first-aid kit laid about a foot away from her, its contents scattered messily around the small box.

"Sakura," he murmured tiredly and gazed around the room. The woman stayed unmoving. His eyes went to the fireplace and his frown deepened when he realized the fire had died out. '_Guess that explains the cold.'_ "Sakura."

Green eyes fluttered open for a second before closing again and he felt her nuzzle her face deeper into the covers -his covers.

"Oi, Sakura," he tried a little louder this time.

Sakura bolted upright. Her hair stuck to her face on the side she had slept on while the other side was nothing but an unruly mess. Her green eyes were glazed over by sleep and he could tell she was exhausted from the dark circles underneath them.

"What are you doing?" he muttered and watched bemusedly as she tried to keep her eyes open without much success.

An annoyed sigh left his lips while he leaned down to wrap his arms around her before hoisting her up onto the bed. Her whole body was cold, much like his own, so he threw the blanket over her sleeping frame and scrambled out of bed. Taking a few wobbly steps toward the fireplace, he then fiddled with the matches for a couple of freezing seconds before they finally gave in and allowed him to start the fire again. He glanced at the woman on the bed and crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to provide some warmth. The fire by his side was slowly but surely growing, but didn't give off much heat in it's newly-lit state, so he decided to join the pinkette for just a few moments.

Skidding over to the bed again, he picked up her blanket from the floor before slumping down onto the mattress and making himself comfortable under the cool fabric. The body beside him moved slightly and before he had time to react, he felt an arm slide in underneath his blanket only to wrap itself over his chest. A cold body followed tightly after and in a few short moments, Sakura's body was snuggled up against his. Glancing down at the pinkette in surprise he noticed she was still asleep. The sudden closeness felt odd and he stiffened momentarily while debating on whether to push her away or not. Warmth was slowly spreading through his tired limbs and he soon relaxed and let his eyes close. The crackling of the fire and the soft breathing from the woman beside him were the only sounds filling the cabin and it didn't take him long before he dozed off as well.

* * *

Three people sat around a rounded table in a dimly lit room. One overly-bandaged, slender male slept soundly on a bed in the corner of the room while a small reindeer paced worriedly back and forth over the wooden floorboards nearby. A redhead lifted her cup of sake to her lips and took a sip of the warm liquid as she studied the elderly woman before her. The blond to her side sat quietly with a cigarette resting in between his lips. His face was passive and void of any emotion as he stared straight ahead, at nothing in particular. Off-white bandages wrapped around his chest, appeared underneath the unbuttoned upper-part of his shirt and a gauze was taped to his left cheek where it shielded a small cut from the dirty outer world.

"That shitty marimo must have gotten lost," he muttered darkly and took a slow drag of his cigarette. Smoke spiraled out from his slightly parted lips before it disappeared into the warm atmosphere of the room. "He always gets lost, that no-sense-of-direction idiot."

Nami, the redhead, downed another mouthful of sake before slamming the porcelain cup onto the round table. "Unless he didn't make it."

The blond arched a brow while regarding the redhead. "Nami-swan," he wailed with a hint of a warning evident in his voice. "That shitty swordsman surely got away from the Marines. He must have."

A dark haired male with an unusually long and currently bandaged nose turned his head as best as he could where he laid with bandages from top till toe and regarded his crew mates. An uncertain and scared expression covered his features while he let out a scared gasp.

"The marines will not find us here, will they?" he questioned with a hint of trepidation.

The blond and the redhead turned to face him with a pitiful look on their faces. Usopp was the scared-of-everything sniper of the crew.

The creaking from the other occupied bed made them all turn fully in surprise and a small smile spread across the redhead's lips when she realized her captain was finally awake.

"Ah, that was such a good nap!" the slender male exclaimed and stretched slightly.

"Luffy!" Nami greeted before a scold replaced her previously smiling face. "Don't move around too much. You were seriously hurt."

"Huh?" Luffy started and stretched for the strawhat which had been resting by the foot of his bed. The captain looked around the room before standing up. "Where's Zoro?" he added. His eyes fell on the reindeer and he instantly felt his mouth watering. "Food!"

The reindeer's eyes widened in fear before it galloped out of the room and into the hallway while the elderly woman snickered in amusement.

Nami's eyes darkened. "You weren't even listening, were you?" and she rose from her seat, went over to the lanky teenager and smacked him over the back of his head.

Big black eyes stared at the redhead. "Nami?" he pouted with a hurt expression in his eyes.

"Idiot! We were worried for you. You've been out of it for four days!"

The captain's expression softened as he regarded his nakama and a wide, reassuring grin spread over his lips. Lifting his hand and pointing his thumb at himself, he gladly shared what always kept him going. "I'm going to be the king of pirates! There's nothing that will stop me!"

Nami smirked at that while the blond by the table let out another puff of smoke.

Luffy turned to the chef. "Sanji, I want meat. Lots and lots of meat!"

His eyes then went to the elder woman. His eyes narrowed a fraction while he took her appearance in. She was slim. Her hair was a pale yellow shade and cascaded down her back, all the way down to her slim waist. Her face was wrinkly and held a pair of chocolate-colored eyes. A large, hawk-like nose protruded from the middle of her face and stretched far enough to shield the middle part of her upper lip. Her lips were thin and held a sly smirk while she regarded him in return. A large, pointy chin adorned the lower part of her face and he thought he could make out at least two bristles of beard on it.

"Old lady, do you have any meat?" he questioned and watched as her grin widened.

The woman propped her elbow up onto the table and waved him over with her index finger. Luffy stepped closer and leaned over the table until his face was mere inches away from hers.

"Let me tell you about the secret of my youth." she started, and before he had time to reflect on what was happening, she threw a punch right in his face which made him fly across the room and crash headfirst into the nearest wall.

"O-oi," Sanji choked out with the cigarette still in between his lips. "That's..-" he stopped himself when seeing the elderly woman glare at him.

Usopp shuddered from his position on the other bed. "So scary!" he wailed in a high-pitched voice.

"Chopper!" the lady called out. "Bring me some ice."

"H-hai!" the reindeer called from the hallway before he galloped away to fetch it for her.

Luffy got back up on his feet in a matter of seconds. A large lump appeared on the left side of his face, but apart from that, he seemed to be fine.

"Where is Zoro?" he asked again and watched his other two nakama's eyes darken slightly.

Nami was the first to speak up. "H-he didn't make it."

A confused expression appeared on the captain's face. "What do you mean?"

Sanji rose from his seat and walked slowly over to the window next to where Luffy was standing. Taking another drag of his cigarette, he let the smoke escape through the gap between his lips where the cigarette rested and he leaned his hip lazily against the windowsill.

"That shitty swordsman fought the marines while trying to shield you. You nearly drowned after the attack but we got you ashore. We were too busy fending them off and never realized he was gone before one of the locals showed up and offered us a ride into town on his sleigh."

Luffy remained quiet while the chef spoke, a trait not often shown by the overly active rubber man. His lips were set in a serious frown, a complete contrast to the otherwise cheerful smile he wore most of the time.

"Sanji," the captain said darkly. "Zoro is strong. He must be alive and out there somewhere. I am sure of it."

The chef's eyes widened at that and the corner of his lips quirked slightly upward in a half-hearted smirk. Of course Luffy wouldn't lose hope for one of his crew-members.

"We will find him." the captain added with a determined look in his eyes.

"Luffy…" Nami awed quietly where she stood a bit behind her captain. Her eyes mirrored the warm, appreciative feeling she got whenever her captain spoke about his strong bond to his crew.

"I have decided, we will not leave this island before we find Zoro." the rubber man stated and turned to the elderly woman again. "But first, I need meat!"

Nami took that moment to smash her fist against the top of his head, sending the rubber man straight to the floor. "Idiot! Don't talk to Dr. Kureha like that." She took a moment to calm herself before continuing. "I have to agree though, we could use some food."

Sanji's ears perked up at that and he instantly turned to face the redhead. "Nami-swan, I will prepare the best meal, full of my love for you~"

The redhead sweat-dropped at his sudden change in mood, but gave a swift nod of agreement.

"I will take you to the restaurant." the doctor offered and headed for the door. "The plum sake is mine, though. It's what keeps me young and fresh!" she winked before leaving the four pirates.

"She's old." Luffy muttered while following the doctor.

"I just hope we'll find Zoro before the marines sends another troop." Nami stated worriedly while following her captain.

Sanji stepped into pace beside her with hearts in his eyes. "At least you still have me and my unwavering love for you, Nami-swan~"

The redhead tightened her fist and ground out through gritted teeth: "You're annoying."

Usopp squirmed on the bed while trying to follow his crew, but didn't get far since his left leg was propped up in a medical support to help his broken leg heal faster.

"Luffy! Don't leave me!" he shouted frightfully, but they were already far gone.

Chopper, the reindeer, entered the room a couple of minutes later with the pack of ice the doctor had ordered.

"Hey!" Usopp sniveled. "Help me."

Chopper stared at the long-nosed male before turning on his heal and sprinting after the others.

"I don't want to be alone…" the sniper cried, but no one heard him.

* * *

Sakura woke up to the lovely feeling of warmth and the smell of food. She stretched lazily where she laid on the bed and heard her stiff joints cracking into place when she moved her arms over her head. A content groan escaped through her lips before she let her arms fall back down onto the soft mattress. The scraping of what sounded like steel caught her ears and she hurriedly sat up in bed and made herself ready to fight. Green eyes scanned the room quickly until they fell on the green-haired swordsman whom was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace with a sword in his hands and what looked like a grindstone in the other. He was sharpening the blades, she noted and relaxed momentarily before her eyes shot open and she rushed out of bed.

"What are you doing?!" she scolded fiercely and pointed a hand toward the bed. "You should be resting!"

A dark brow arched on the swordsman as he met her clear eyes with a lazy stare of his own. He regarded her for a moment before going back to sharpen his katanas without saying a word.

"Did you not hear me? This is dangerous. You _need_ to lay down!" she stated again and leaned down to grab a hold of his sword.

It didn't even take a second before she found herself with her back against the floorboards. Zoro's body hovered over her. His hands supported his weight by holding him up on either side of her shoulders, while a threatening glare had replaced his previously lazy one. His right hand was still holding onto the katana and the blade was barely grazing the skin of the right side of her neck.

"Don't touch my swords." he seethed through gritted teeth. "They're cursed."

Sakura stared up in disbelief. '_How did he move so fast?'_ She realized her hands had instinctively gone to his chest during the fall, but she didn't push him off. Instead she found herself spreading her fingers over the soft fabric of his shirt, completely mesmerized by the hard muscles hidden underneath. He stiffened, his whole body going rigid at her ministrations and a look of uncertainty flickered through his eyes when she finally met his stare. A gasp left her lips as she gazed into his dark eyes. Those black pools seemed endless and full of unexplored mysteries, and she felt herself drawn into them with a hunger to learn more.

Zoro wasn't sure what was happening as he had her pinned down onto the floor. The feeling of her touch was starting a wildfire within him and as his lower body was pinning her down, his mind seemed to drift repeatedly to the fact that she was wearing nothing but a tank-top and her underwear and that her most private parts were dangerously close to his own. He wanted nothing more than to explore this new sensation, but something in his mind told him not to indulge into it. It told him to stay away and to keep his distance.

Her eyes were an endless sea of different shades of green and he had noticed how they seemed to change color depending on her mood. Flicking his stare to her lips, he noticed they were slightly parted and seemed very, very inviting.

The blade left its position against her neck within the next couple of seconds and as soon as it had happened, his body was gone and she was left alone on the floor.

'_What the hell just happened?'_ she asked herself while sitting up.

The swordsman was nowhere to be seen, but the clanking of porcelain sounding from the kitchen gave away his new whereabouts.

Zoro was confused. He had no idea what had just happened between them, nor did he know why he had suddenly felt such possessiveness toward his swords. Picking two bowls from one of the cabinets in the kitchen he then filled them with the soup Sakura had prepared the day before, or whenever it was. He wasn't sure what day it was anymore and the fact that it had been dark outside when he had woken up earlier didn't help him deduce the time of the day either.

He had been careful when getting out of bed earlier. Sakura had been fast asleep, so he had decided to let her be since she seemed to need the rest. He still wasn't sure of what she had done to him, but from the looks of the first-aid kit and the bloody gauze's he had found on the floor, he figured she must have healed him. He just couldn't figure out how.

How could someone so young rid him off the enormous amount of pain he had felt in his head before going to bed? How could someone so young be qualified to be a doctor at all? He didn't understand. Surely, she couldn't be that much younger than him. Not that he knew how old he was, but he guessed he was in his early 20's. Sighing frustratingly, he left the kitchen with the two bowls of soup in his hands.

He spotted her in the recliner near the washroom. She was reading a book, so he went over to her and placed her bowl on the bookshelf by her side. Before he left, he found his eyes going automatically to her legs which she had tucked halfway underneath her butt, and he almost sighed in relief when noticing she was now wearing pants.

"Thanks," she said softly when he went to sit in front of the fireplace again. He liked it there. He could see most of the small cabin from that position and had the privilege to bask in the warmth of the flames at the same time.

He waved a dismissive hand in return and dug in on the delicious soup.

While he ate, he could feel her stare on him, but since he was trying to follow his inner advice -he pretended not to notice.

* * *

Dr. Kureha was happily sipping her plum sake while watching the rubber man stuffing his face full of meat. His belly had expanded enormously by the amount of food he had eaten, and she smirked slightly at the shocked expression on her favorite reindeer as he too watched the trio of pirates.

The blond was swooning around the redhead whom seemed to ignore his every move, yet the blond didn't lose his hope and continued finding new ways to show his appreciation for the woman.

They were an interesting group of people and she found them entertaining enough to let them stay for free in the gigantic castle, which had made the redhead very happy. She was the navigator of the group and somewhat of a kleptomaniac. Dr. Kureha had already gotten complaints from patients whom had gotten their wallets stolen, and so far, everything pointed toward the navigator and her idle hands.

There seemed to be one member missing, though. A green-haired swordsman whom had a tendency to get lost even on straight roads. The quartet were planning to head out in the morning to try and find the missing crew member, and Dr. Kureha had someone to find herself. An old friend of hers had sent her student to Drum Island and was requesting the doctor's help in educating the female further. Now, ninjas and pirates were sworn life-long enemies, yet the two doctors had bonded significantly during an intense period in their lives. Kureha was looking forward to meeting the girl. Perhaps she could teach her new student the secret behind her youth.

Taking another swig of her alcohol, she turned to the reindeer and locked eyes with the animal.

"Keep an eye on them, will ya?"

The reindeer nodded and watched as their teacher waved the pirates goodnight before retreating to her personal area of the castle. She needed to prepare things for tomorrow and get some beauty-sleep after all.

* * *

An hour passed in the small cabin before Sakura finally put the book back in the bookshelf. Zoro was in the bathroom, taking a much needed shower, so Sakura took that moment to head into the kitchen with their empty bowls. She filled the sink with warm water and carefully placed the porcelain and their spoons into it and let it soak while she scraped the remains of the soup into the trashcan. Too caught up in her task, she never noticed the male enter the kitchen before he was pressed up against her back. She froze with a loud gasp while every one of her senses seemed to open up to the maximum. The bowl she had been holding slipped from her fingers when she felt his chest graze her shoulders and then his bare arm came into view as he reached for a glass in the cabinet above her. She stood completely still and silently inhaled his scent while he filled the glass with water. A mixture of steel, musk and a hint of sea, which she had learned to distinguish from her travel over the oceans, filled her lungs and she almost felt lightheaded by the way it made her feel. She shivered and bit down on her lip before slowly turning her head toward him, but as she did, she was met with cold and the sight of his retreating back as he left the kitchen. A shaky breath left her lips when she realized he was wearing nothing but a towel and she clenched her thighs together while willing herself to focus on the dishes once more.

Zoro went back into the bathroom with the glass of water still in his hand. He placed it down on the corner of the basin and raked a hand through his damp hair. He hadn't been prepared for the reaction he got from her. Hell, he didn't even know he could make someone react that way. He had been thirsty and she just happened to be in the kitchen when he got there. It was clear to him that she hadn't noticed him until he had reached for the glass. Surely, he could have stepped aside while filling it with water, but his body hadn't been cooperating with him. She had been so close. So close he'd been able to feel the tremors running through her body. Her breathing had turned shallow and he had seen how she bit down on her bottom lip, which had made him want to do it for her.

He let out a long sigh and pulled his pants on, reached for the glass of water and downed it in one long gulp before stepping out of the steamy bathroom.

Sakura was sitting on the bed when he re-entered the living area.

"I'd like to check on your wounds before bed." she stated while avoiding his eyes.

He nodded once and left the glass in the draining sink before heading to sit down next to her.

Her hands went to the wet bandages around his infected wound on his arm and she undid the wrappings slowly.

"You heal fast." she commented while prodding the skin around the cut with her fingers. "Does this hurt?"

"No." he replied while watching her inspect the wound.

"I have an ointment I'd like to try out, if that's okay with you?" green eyes flickered up to meet his and he found himself staring into two pools of emerald green which held an unidentifiable emotion in them.

"Okay." he agreed.

She reached for the pouch she had kept around her hips the day he had confronted her with the white katana, and brought out a small pot with a green substance within its wooden edges.

"This might sting a little but should pass within a couple of minutes." she sounded professional while she spoke and he found himself wondering yet again who this woman before him really was.

Sakura smeared the thick substance onto the gash and covered the cut completely with it before wrapping a new bandage around his arm. Her fingers moved fast and he could tell she had done this many times before.

The stinging sensation wasn't too bad, but the burning that came after it bothered him more.

"How's your head?" she asked next and got up from the bed to stand before him.

"Much better."

She smiled at that. "May I take a look?"

He didn't bother to reply but turned his wounded side toward her instead.

She stepped closer to the swordsman and brushed her fingers through his short hair while looking for the bruise. It had healed nicely, she noticed and felt a feeling of genuine pride rise within her. The swelling had gone down and the skin around the lump had returned to its natural color.

"Does this hurt?" she questioned while pressing lightly around the wound.

"A little." he winced and closed his eyes for a second while she continued with a lighter pressure against the sore area.

"Do you remember anything other than your name?"

He hissed when her fingers swept directly over the sore bump, and unconsciously gripped around her thigh for support.

Sakura's eyes flew open and she fought hard to resist the sudden urge to moan. Not only was he sitting shirtless before her. He was now touching her as well.

"No." he responded after what seemed like forever and she nodded her head in acknowledgment.

His thumb suddenly started moving in circles right below her hip and she inhaled sharply at the sudden move. Her fingers combed through his hair and she carefully sent a small amount of chakra to her fingertips while massaging his scalp; a combination she had realized patients often found very soothing.

Zoro's hand slid further toward the back of her thigh and before she had time to react, he had pulled her down to straddle his lap.

"What are you doing, Sakura?" he questioned darkly while forcing her to meet his stare.

She swallowed hard and licked her lips. His eyes went to them in an instant before going back to her eyes. The pinkette gasped at the intensity of his black orbs and she sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth. They were so close their noses were almost touching and she could feel his breath swipe over her lips as he exhaled. The mixture of steel, musk and sea filled her senses again and she could swear the energy in the room had suddenly turned electric.

He wasn't sure when it had happened, but he needed to taste those lips. The second she had laid her hands on him, that same wildfire from before had fired up deep within him and he had no idea how to extinguish it. She was doing something to his head. He was sure of it. He didn't know what, but whenever she placed her hands on his head he would feel a tingling sensation that spread through his nerves and fueled the fire.

Closing the distance between them, he captured her lips with his own and soon felt her arms wrap around his neck as she pressed herself fully against his chest. Her lips molded perfectly against his and when he tugged at her hair, a pleasure-filled moan escaped her lips.

He grabbed a hold of her waist and pushed her down onto the bed before positioning himself in between her legs.

"If you don't want this, you need to let me know right now." his voice was low and full of suppressed need.

Green eyes widened in realization and with an assuring nod, she propped herself up on her elbow while the other arm snaked around his neck.

"I want this." she stated and raked her fingers through his hair again.

He snapped.


	4. 04 - Sexual Eruption

**Chapter 4  
Sexual Eruption  
**(Snoop Dogg feat. Robyn)

* * *

Another moan left her lips when he started kissing her neck. His chest pressed against her chest while he used his weight to push her down onto the bed again. The hand in his hair splayed over the back of his head before she grasped a handful of his short tresses. Her other hand slid up the underside of his arm. She felt goosebumps emitting under her touch and slowly dragged her nails softly down his muscled arm. He removed his lips from her neck and brought them to her lips instead, aligning them perfectly over hers before leaning down to taste her.

His kisses were soft, loving and patient, and she knew he was fighting hard to restrain himself. She had seen the need in his eyes. She had heard it in his voice and had felt him grow where his lower body rested against hers, and she admired the control he seemed to have over himself.

She felt her insides melt when his tongue suddenly lapped at her lips and she found herself responding instantly and allowed him to explore her further. The tip of his tongue met hers and she shivered while he glided it slowly against hers before curling itself around it. Warmth was starting to spread in between her legs and she inhaled sharply while grinding her clothed sex against his.

This was wrong, yet felt so right.

He left her lips for a second and gazed down at her face. Her eyes were closed. Her cheeks were slightly tinted in a pale, pink shade and her lips were wet and seemed to be calling his name. He wanted nothing more than to rip her clothes off right then and there, but something in his mind wanted to challenge him, to see how far he could go, so he refrained from it.

Bringing a hand down to the hem of her tank-top, he let his fingertips brush against the warm skin underneath the black fabric. Her eyes opened a fraction, completely glazed over by lust, and she arched her back a bit to let him slide the fabric further up over her toned stomach. He kissed her again and felt her nails claw at his back as she dragged them over his exposed form. The action made him deepen the kiss and he soon earned a moan from the pinkette as he expertly explored the cavern of her mouth.

His calloused hand made its up over her ribcage and up to her breast, and he heard her whimper as he cupped the mound of flesh in his hand. She fit him perfectly, he noted, and started massaging the fullness of her bosom. Her nipple hardened against the palm of his hand, so he flicked his thumb over the erect bud before pinching and rolling it in between his thumb and index finger.

A shaky gasp left her lips at that and she tilted her head to the side with her eyes still closed. Zoro took advantage of her exposed neck and nibbled lightly on the skin over her carotid artery while continuing to assault her nipple with his fingers. She squirmed beneath him, her breathing picking up noticeably and he found himself unable to resist grinding his hardened groin into her. A throaty moan left her lips before she bit down on her lower lip. Zoro used his other hand to tilt her head so he could kiss her and thrust into her again. This time her eyes fluttered open and her green orbs gazed longingly into his.

Not a word was spoken as he lifted her top off of her and threw it to the side. His eyes roamed her exposed skin, from her face, down her throat, to her collarbones and down her chest where two inviting mounds called for attention. He lowered his head and left a trail of wet kisses from her lips and down her throat before he ended up in between her breasts. His lips left small pecks over her soft skin until his lips reached her hardened nipple. He took it in his mouth and swirled his tongue around the erect bud while his other hand massaged its twin.

Sakura hissed as he diverged his attention from her face and she instantly grabbed a hold of his hair. Her hips started moving in circles underneath his form. The heat she had felt earlier in between her legs was slowly but surely intensifying. She needed more.

"Zoro," she moaned when he bit down on her bosom and he lifted his gaze to peek at her through his dark lashes. "Please…"

A smirk grazed his lips at the sight of her humming form and he decided to let her have her way. For now, at least.

He grasped the hem of her trousers and tugged them down her legs and exposed her pink underwear in the process. Quirking an eyebrow, he eyed her with a playful grin on his face.

"Pink, huh?"

Sakura leaned up on her elbows. The pink in her cheeks darkened as she glared down at him with a scowl on her face.

"I like them." He stated truthfully and hooked his index fingers in her underwear before sliding them down her legs and let them drop to the floor along with her trousers.

His hands slid up the insides of her thighs, spreading them further apart, and he gazed up at her while making himself comfortable in between her legs.

The first thing she felt was his breathing as he came closer to her awaiting sex. The second thing was the feeling of his lips as they brushed ever so slightly against her womanhood. His tongue followed tightly thereafter and slid slowly through her wet folds and up toward her clitoris. Her eyes closed momentarily and she laid back down onto the mattress with a heavy but content sigh passing through her lips. This was what she wanted, what she needed and what she craved.

His tongue flickered over her sensitive bud of nerves and she moaned quietly in response while fisting the sheets in her hands. He brought one hand up where his face was resting and used two fingers to spread her apart for better access before sliding his tongue over her slit and up toward her most sensitive spot again. She tasted sweet.

Sakura cried out in pleasure as he lapped at her most sensitive spot and she started grinding her hips until he propped a hand over her other hip to firmly hold her down. Another moan escaped through her lips when he placed his upper lip right above her clit and wiggled the tip of his tongue directly at it.

She shivered in pleasure and glided one hand down her chest and belly until she came into contact with the hair on the top of his head. Slim fingers clawed sensually at the soft strands of his green hair while he continued to please her. Her whole body was humming in delight, basking in the attention it was receiving.

She was so close. Her insides were on fire and she felt a sudden burst of pleasure rapidly building up deep, deep down in her belly.

"Zoro," she moaned in warning while thrashing her head from side to side and felt him grab a hold of her thighs before hooking his arms underneath them. This new position gave him easier access to her sweet spot and he took advantage of it by adding more pressure to her pearl.

Her hands roamed over her own body before resting atop of her breasts while he continued assaulting her spot. A couple of more licks later had her toes curling as she let out a throaty moan while reaching her peak. She trembled beneath him, moaned his name and arched her back as her orgasm coursed through her body, yet he didn't stop. One hand sneaked in between his chest and the sheets and he slowly inserted a finger into her wet core. She was completely soaked, he noted and added another digit and pushed both fingers in and out of her wet cave. He pulled away from her clitoris for a moment to give her time to come down from her high and focused solely on unwinding her again, but in a different way.

Her hand suddenly grasped his and he gazed up at her flushed face with the big, green eyes he had come to adore. Her breathing was ragged and her face had taken on a wild-looking appearance as she sat halfway up on the bed with her legs on either side of his form.

"Please," she whimpered as he thrust his fingers back into her wet folds and he saw her eyes rolling to the back of her head for a moment before she forced them to re-focus on his. "This isn't fair." she managed to get out in just above a whisper, and he had to agree with that.

Giving in to her a second time that day, he pulled his fingers out with his mind set on fulfilling his own need. Standing up on his knees, he soon felt her hands stroking him through his pants. His eyes closed immediately at this new sensation and he fisted his hand in her hair while the other one gently cupped her cheek. His lips met hers in a needy kiss and he felt his throat tighten as a low growl seemed to have escaped from him. Her lips formed a smile of victory at the sound and he felt his cheeks heat up slightly, completely taken off guard by the whole thing. Trying to stay in control was getting harder by the second. Especially when her hand had decided to slide inside of his pants and was now stroking his shaft without restrictions in between their skin.

He pulled away from her lips for a second and peered down at her beautiful face. The hand in her hair tugged firmly yet gently at her soft curls and her eyes shot up to stare expectantly at his. A smirk grazed his lips as he leaned closer but never really reached her lips and when she tried to move forward to capture his soft ones with hers, he used the grip on her hair to keep her from succeeding.

Her eyes darkened at the playful denial and a sly smile adorned her lips. Two could play that game.

He quirked an eyebrow as she removed her hand from his throbbing member and let it glide down toward her soaked sex instead. His eyes narrowed a fraction at the loss of contact before they widened again when he realized she was starting to please herself. Her eyes held a glint of playfulness as she used her long- and ring finger to lightly massage her overly sensitive bundle of nerves. The tip of her tongue slipped through her lips while it wet them and Zoro's eyes flickered downward to regard the sensual action. A soft moan left her lips soon after while her eyelids slowly shut him out and she heard him growl in annoyance, which made the victorious grin impossible to keep from spreading over her lips.

"Tch, witch!" she heard him huff petulantly, and she felt the grip on her hair soften.

The rustling of fabric reached her ears next and then his warm hands were lowering her onto the bed. She opened her eyes when her head rested comfortably on the pillow and was met with his scarred chest. Sakura reached a hand out and softly traced the long slash with her fingers, completely missing the puzzled look on her lover's face. His hands cradled her face before he let one hand travel further down to help position himself at her entrance. Her legs were spread apart on each side of his hips, with her knees caging him in between them. A sudden burst of anticipation welled up deep in her gut as she felt the tip of his head finally come into contact with her wet entrance and her eyes quickly darted to Zoro's face. The hand on his chest glided upward, over his shoulder and neck, and she rested her hand on the back of his neck while lifting her head to be able to capture his lips with her own. She felt him smile and felt his tongue slipping in between her lips as he thrust himself ever so slowly into her waiting womb.

Green eyes fluttered closed as he invaded her and she leaned back down onto the pillow while bringing him with her. A gasp left her lips as he pulled out almost completely before burying himself in her slick cave again. She felt her muscles tighten around him as a form of defense to his thick size, but willed herself to relax as he once again started to pull out.

His tongue went in a lazy circle around hers, almost as if it was slow dancing with it and she sensually followed his lead. The hand he had used to guide his member trailed up the underside of her thigh only to lay her leg around his waist. She realized a second later he had probably done it to give himself more space in between her legs, because when her leg was hooked around his lower back, she felt him fill her up completely as he thrust into her again, and her inner walls started spasming around the intruder. Breaking away from the kiss, she threw her head back with a pleasure filled moan. Zoro closed his eyes as her slick walls clenched around his throbbing length and he shuddered at the enormous amount of pleasure that coursed through him. Fighting the urge to pound into her, he continued grinding into her in the same slow but steady pace he had picked.

Her hands trailed up his arms in a haze. His hard muscles rippled under her touch and she forced herself to peer up at him through half-lidded eyes. His black eyes were closed. His lips were parted. Sweat was beginning to form on his brow and he looked as if he was concentrating too hard on holding back to enjoy the moment. She slid one hand up to caress his cheek and let her thumb brush over his bottom lip which he instantly left a chaste kiss on.

The same burning sensation from before fired up deep, deep down in her gut and she knew she would be experiencing another orgasm within the next couple of minutes. Hooking her other leg around his waist, she started thrusting her hips up to meet his in an attempt to make him go faster. Another low growl sounded from his throat and he finally gave in to her silent plea. He pulled out of her almost completely before thrusting himself in much rougher than before and she yelped in response as the impact made her slide up a few inches closer toward the wall. Her nails dug into his shoulder as he repeated the motion and he hissed in a mixture of pleasure and pain at her assault.

His lips came down and left a sloppy kiss on her lips before he cradled her head in his hands again and picked up the pace. Her breaths fanned over his face as she moaned again, the sound was like music to his ears.

Her back suddenly arched while her inner walls clamped down hard on his member and he willed his eyes to open in order to be able to watch her face when she came undone. She thrashed her head from left to right while trying to keep up with his thrusts and dug her fingers hard into his muscled back as her orgasm neared its peak. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as the woman beneath him started pulling at his hair and he felt her walls twitch forcefully around his member while she trembled underneath him. He slammed into her then and bowed his head to rest it against her forehead for support while a deep moan left his lips. The aftermath of her orgasm covered his whole length and made it easier for him to pound into her.

"I'm… gonna… again!" she cried out and felt his right hand grab a hold of her left breast. Another wave of white-hot pleasure exploded through her and she felt him shudder as he spilled his seed deep into her womb while she twitched forcefully around him.

"Sa-kura," he growled and collapsed halfway on top of her.

Silence filled the small cabin, save from their heavy breathing as they both laid half-tangled together on the bed. Sakura was the first one to move and slowly crawled out of the bed, heading for the washroom. She came trotting back to the bed with a towel in her hand a few minutes later and found the swordsman regarding her naked form from his relaxed position on the bed. A hint of a blush spread over her cheeks as it dawned on her what they had been doing and how he had managed to unconsciously push her buttons. She had never been that bold with anyone before. Sure, she had engaged in sexual situations before, but never to the extent where she willingly touched herself in order to tease someone. Pushing her embarrassment to the back of her head, she crawled back up on the bed and let her teeth sink down onto her bottom lip as she met his stare. His gaze was intense and she felt her insides flutter by the sight of it. She tossed the towel at his face and slid down underneath the covers with her back turned towards him to shield herself from his piercing stare and heard the bed creaking as he shifted by her side. The blanket she had wrapped around herself suddenly moved and a warm body cuddled up against her backside. A strong arm wrapped itself around her waist and brought her closer to his solid chest. A small smile played on her lips when he left a lazy kiss at the back of her neck.

"That was… something," she stated tiredly before a yawn escaped through her lips.

"Mhmm," he hummed and caressed the soft skin of her stomach with his thumb. A smirk made its way onto his lips while he nuzzled his face in her tousled hair. The fire crackled on near the kitchen area, with its hot flames sending warmth throughout the cabin. His thumb slowly started moving further down her toned front and he felt her suck her stomach in as he reached past her navel.

"Zoro?" she gasped as he reached his desired destination in between her legs.

"Are you ready for round two?" he asked huskily and lifted her leg a bit so his hardened manhood could reach her entrance more easily.

"W-what? Now?!"

He smirked at the surprised tone in her voice and stroked himself by pushing his member through the insides of her thighs. "Yes."

"How is it even- ah…" she moaned when he finally slid into her wet folds again while holding her leg up.

"Do you want me to stop?" he pulled out almost all the way before sheathing his shaft slowly in her cave again.

Another moan escaped the pinkette at the feeling of being completely stuffed by him, and she closed her eyes in contentment. "Mmno…"

She heard him chuckle behind her and felt his lips connect with the back of her shoulder as he left a chaste kiss there before thrusting into her a little faster.

If this was what heaven felt like, she wished she would have ended up there sooner.

"Zoro?" she asked suddenly while snaking a hand down to touch herself while he continued invading her.

"Hm?"

"Lay down on your back, please." she panted heavily.

A dark eyebrow arched on the swordsman's face as he regarded her panting form from behind. Suspicion rose within the green-haired man, but he slipped out of her and did as he was told none the less and watched her form as she sat up next to him before throwing a leg over his hips.

"What are you doing?" he questioned quietly as he watched her back come into view before him.

Her pink hair hung loosely in a disheveled mess and ended right above her shoulders. Her back was smooth and pale just like the rest of her and he found himself unable to resist trailing his fingers up and down her spine.

"Just relax," she responded before grabbing a hold of his dick and steered it to her entrance.

She sunk down onto it slowly, sliding inch by inch into her warm cave and she heard him hiss when she had him buried all the way to her core. She leaned forward after that, exposing her round butt to him in the process, and slowly but steadily moved her hips forward, giving him full view of how connected they were at this moment. His length glistened by her wet insides in the sheen of the firelight, and he found it difficult to think straight as she rocked her hips backward to sheath his member once again.

"S-sakura…"

A devious smirk plastered itself on her lips by the trembling in his voice and she rocked forward again while leaning onto the underside of her arms for support in between his legs.

His hand grasped at her rear when she sunk back towards his crotch again. Another throaty hiss sounded from the swordsman as he once again slid into her warmth and she joined him with a faint moan of her own.

"Do you like that?" she asked and quickened her pace a little.

He caressed her behind as it came into contact with his hand and felt her tighten around him as he responded: "God yes."

"Good." she moaned and clenched around him again.

He was sure he had never had the privilege to experience sex this way before. Not with someone as bold as her, but then again, he couldn't really remember that far back. She whimpered in delight as she slammed herself back onto his hard shaft and he felt a tingling feeling spring to life by the sound of it. He felt her hand trail up the inside of his thigh until it disappeared in between their sexes and he felt her fingers move as she rubbed her digits over her clitoris for more stimulation while moaning again.

He sat up by then and wrapped his arms around her waist which caused her to stop rocking her hips against him.

"Lay down," he ordered and watched her as she complied. "On your back." he added and leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her lips as he got to see her face again. He grabbed a hold of her ankles and propped them up against his shoulders before lowering himself over her.

He thrust into her after that, sliding deeper into her folds than before and her eyes widened at the realization. Her butt rested against his knees which helped aid him in this new angle. His hand slid down her leg and down her thigh, causing her skin to break out in goosebumps. It made it's way to her bundle of nerves which she had given attention to earlier and he brushed his thumb over the sensitive bud in a matching pace with his hips. A gasp left her lips and her back arched at the sudden touch, and she cried out in pleasure as her insides tightened with such force she was sure she'd burst any second.

Zoro's eyes closed as she clamped down on him and he slammed into her harder whilst still giving her pearl the attention the pink-haired woman craved.

"Don't stop!" she whimpered while starting to rock her hips to meet his thrusts.

The friction between them was making her feel too good and she never wanted it to stop.

"God… yes!" she wailed and started trembling before him. Her legs stiffened and then she shook more violently underneath him as he brought her over the edge with a loud moan.

His brows furrowed in concentration as he willed himself not to give in to the pleasant feeling of Sakura as she came undone around him, but it was futile. He leaned down over her and pounded into her until he couldn't hold it in anymore and heard another moan escape through the pinkette's lips as he released himself inside of her with a deep growl while his body shuddered from the strain.

He laid down next to her and threw an arm over his forehead while trying to get control over his breathing. His chest rose and fell as he filled his lungs with air through his parted lips.

He felt the woman next to him wrap an arm over his chest while he fought the sudden need for rest that slowly crept over him. Her fingers trailed the long scar over his chest before her hand stilled right over his heart. He lifted his arm a little and peeked down at the now sleeping doctor and gave a lopsided smile at the sight of her sleeping face. He reached for the blanket and threw it messily over them and allowed himself to join the pinkette in the world of dreams as the sun slowly rose over the horizon outside of the small cottage, casting the sky in different hues of pink, purple and orange.


	5. 05 - Oblivion

**Chapter 5**  
**Oblivion**  
(Grimes)

* * *

The four Strawhat pirates were sound asleep at the large castle high up on the mountain. Dr. Kureha was sitting in her room with a bottle of plum sake within arm's reach while going through some notes regarding her new apprentice. Kureha was no stranger to the phenomena called chakra. She had spent a lot of time with Tsunade after all, and by the notes from her old friend she had learned that Sakura, as her apprentice was called, had perfect chakra control. Tsunade wanted Sakura to expand her skills as a medic ninja but without the use of chakra since it was easy to trace back to the user. And since Kureha was an expert with herbs and poisons, she wanted the elder lady to take Sakura under her wing and teach her everything she knew. She knew having Sakura on the island would be risky since there were always those on the lookout for rare abilities to research further. And what rare ability wasn't perfect chakra control?

The elderly woman leaned back in her seat, her eyes glancing out the spacey window on the other side of her desk. Snow was falling from the colorful morning sky as the sun woke from its slumber over the horizon. Chopper was sleeping in a small bed at the other side of the room, his soft snores the only sound filling the otherwise quiet room, and she turned to regard the small tanuki for a moment. He reminded her too much of her old friend Dr. Hiluluk whom had been Chopper's father figure and mentor before he had sadly passed away. Dr. Kureha had taken the tanuki in under her wing as one of the last promises to the dying doctor's deathbed wishes. Gaining the trust of the reindeer had been a hassle, but he had warmed up to her eventually and seemed to cherish her teachings and her company.

The reindeer shifted in his sleep before two large eyes slowly opened, revealing his round, black eyes. Dazed from sleep, it took him a moment before his vision finally fell on the doctor and an embarrassed smile graced his lips.

"Doctorine," his voice was squeaky as he addressed the woman.

"Good morning, Chopper." the elderly woman replied with a soft nod of her head.

"Did you not get any sleep?" the reindeer asked as he hopped down from the small bed and went to stand in front of the lady.

"Shi-shi-shi-shi-shi," the doctor laughed merrily as she rose from her seat and headed for the door, leaving the tanuki behind.

Luffy and Usopp were fast asleep in their beds in a spacey room a story above. Snores were filling the room while they were fighting monsters and eating unlimited amounts of meat in their sleep. A door slamming shut further down the narrow corridor suddenly woke the two occupants up and the shriek that followed signaled the redhead of the group was the one behind the ruckus.

"Nami-swan!~" the muffled voice of their cook seeped through their door. "I've brought you breakfast in bed~"

"Then bring it to my room and not to the bathroom, you perv!"

Luffy bolted upright with a wide grin on his face. "Breakfast!" he exclaimed happily and slipped out from the covers before darting towards the door. He stopped abruptly before reaching for the handle and turned toward Usopp who was still heavily bandaged in his own bed.

"What are you waiting for?" Luffy began, his grin still visible on his features.

"I can't move, you idiot!" the long nosed pirate spat heatedly while trying to wiggle free from the restraints around his broken leg.

"Oh, right!" the captain murmured. His face darkened for a second as he regarded his nakama, but it soon brightened again while his lips turned into a full grin where he showed off his pearly whites. "Guess I'll have no choice but to carry you then! Gomu gomu no…-"

The sniper's eyes widened at the sound of his captain's rubber-attack and he threw his hands up in defeat. "Wait! Luffy, NO!"

"Amidori!"

Luffy's right hand stretched forward in high speed and grabbed a hold of the sniper's bandaged arm before tugging his arm back while holding onto his comrade.

"Luffy!" the sniper yelled, tears running down his cheeks when he was roughly tugged out of bed and was sent darting through the room.

The strawhat captain only grinned and flung the door open and ran out of the room with Usopp screaming his lungs out as he was forced to helplessly tag along.

Sanji stood put outside of the bathroom with a tray in one hand, containing a cup of tea, some bread and freshly pressed orange juice for the navigator of the crew. Said navigator was currently peeking over the side of the door with a horrified expression on her face. Their captain was an idiot, no doubt about it.

* * *

Sakura woke up to a streak of the sun warming her face through the kitchen window. A groan left her lips as she threw an arm over her eyes to shield them from the burning light. Her body ached from the night's antics with a minor throb surrounding her overexerted muscles she had not known she had. What the hell had happened last night? She remembered everything: every kiss, every touch, every look the swordsman had given her. She remembered the rush of ecstasy that had built up deep in her core before coursing through her body in full throttle. She remembered the feeling of his skin against hers, but couldn't understand how she could have given in to him as easily as she had.

Sakura wasn't one to sleep around with strangers or have one-night stands. Sure, she had lost her virginity to one of her friends back home and had been on a few infiltration missions where she had used her body to get the mission done, but that had been expected of her as a ninja, as a kunoichi of Konoha. She should have been more careful, more alert. She should have fought against her body's will and longing for his touch. She should have held herself together and not lose control over herself when his hands had tenderly awoken her body's yearning for him.

Groaning again she peeked at the man sleeping next to her. Soft snores were sounding from the swordsman and blush spread across her cheeks as she took in his sleeping features. How was it that this man could have such a strong hold on her when she didn't even know him?

Her face paled noticeably as her mind suddenly went to her sensei. Tsunade would surely kill her if she ever found out. She had to stop being so reckless. Shutting her eyes tightly, Sakura made up her mind right then and there. '_Starting today, I will not use any more chakra and I will keep my hands and lips away from the man laying next to me.'_

Her body suddenly stiffened as she felt movement over her lower stomach. '_Holy hell!' _she thought while the feeling of his hand sliding over her lower abdomen awoke a tingly sensation deep in her gut. Zoro's arm was draped over her naked flesh and his warm body soon lined up against hers while he was still sleeping soundly by her side.

Sakura panicked. She had to get out of bed before he woke up. Biting her lower lip, she carefully grasped onto his wrist and lifted his arm up while wiggling further towards the wall and away from him. She felt hot and bothered and cursed herself for not keeping her emotions in check.

A sudden image of black, spiky hair flashed in her mind's eye and she raised her brows in surprise. '_Sasuke.'_

Sasuke was a former teammate of hers and her first real love. He had been the last of his clan since his brother had mercilessly murdered the entire Uchiha clan and had only spared the life of his brother. Sasuke had left the village shortly after the chuunin exams; a tournament where ninjas were tested in their teamwork, fighting skills and tactics. He had wanted to get stronger and had gone to a man named Orochimaru whom had promised him endless amount of power. He had left the village almost three years ago, becoming a missing nin at the age of 15, and she hadn't seen Sasuke since.

Naruto, her other teammate, had left on a journey of his own to get stronger by the help of another man called Jirayia. Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraiya had been a team during their younger days and had earned the title _Three Sannin_. They were legendary back home and it had taken Sakura almost a year before she finally had the guts to ask Tsunade to train her as well. The woman had scared the shit out of the young kunoichi with her short temper and remarkable strength, but Sakura hadn't backed down. She had fought hard to gain the respect of the elder woman and had constantly been striving for more and more knowledge.

Shaking the images of the raven haired boy out of her mind, she then crawled carefully out of bed, not wanting to awaken the sleeping man.

* * *

The bathroom floor was cool under her bare feet, making the ninja shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other while waiting for the water to heat up so she could take a shower. It took a few moments before she finally climbed into the tiny tub and pulled the shower curtain to shield herself when cleansing her body. She shivered uncontrollably as the lukewarm water fell over her skin, gritting her teeth to keep from cursing. It eventually warmed up and she felt her overexerted muscles relax under the spray of warm water. Her breathing slowed and she closed her eyes for a second, enjoying the warmth spreading throughout her body.

Her mind drifted to the man sleeping on the other side of the bathroom door and she felt her inner muscles clench as she was once again reminded of his hands all over her body. She squirted soap into her hands and started cleaning herself, slowly giving into the pleasure of her soapy hands sliding over her wet skin. She felt hot and tingly. Her form was humming in delight from the warmth that was spreading through her limbs. Her eyes shot open as she caught herself fantasizing about the swordsman and his skilled fingers plunging in and out of her, and her gaze dropped to where her hands were currently stroking. A blush formed on her cheeks at the realization and she bit her lip in annoyance while removing her hands from her lower region.

'_Get yourself together, Sakura.'_ she scolder herself and started washing her hair instead. '_Just focus on what you're supposed to do.'_ she nodded in agreement to her own thoughts and took a deep breath, slowly exhaling through her nose while calming her senses. Her eyes fluttered closed as she turned to face the spray of water and let it pour over her face.

The running water from the sink suddenly reached her ears. Sakura froze, her eyes wide open in terror. The rustling of fabric followed soon after and she swallowed hard while her heart thumped loudly in her chest. The soft click of the door reached her ears next and she forcefully let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. Peeking over the side of the shower curtain she realized she was alone. She turned the water off and reached for a towel which she quickly wrapped around her dripping wet body. Another towel was wrapped around her head to keep her hair from dripping water everywhere. She pulled the shower curtain to the side and stepped onto the cold floor, quickly drying herself off before tugging on a new pair of underwear, a black bra and a pair of black sweatpants with a matching long sleeved top. If he had been in there, it meant he was awake. She felt her cheeks heat up at the thought and shook her head to get rid of any inappropriate thoughts. '_Although, it would have been nice if he had joined us.'_ her inner self teased and the blush on her cheeks instantly deepened. Grasping onto the towel around her hair, she hurriedly dried her pink tresses and hung the towel up to dry. She needed to get her mind out of the gutter, and that fast.

He was kneeling by the fire, adding more wood to the burning pile when she finally exited the washroom. Her eyes instantly went to his bare back and she found herself unable to stop the small gasp of appreciation of his physique from escaping her lips. He didn't acknowledge her nor did he look her way when she carefully made her way over to the kitchen, quickly slinking into the small room next to where he was crouching.

He had seen her, had felt her presence when she'd exited the washroom, but he hadn't been able to get himself to greet her. It had felt odd. Surreal even, but he couldn't put his finger on why.

The bed had been empty when he had woken up. The side next to him still a bit warm from where she had been sleeping and he had heard the the water running in the bathroom, signaling she was taking a shower. He had stayed in bed for a couple of minutes, just listening to the sound of it before the need to use the bathroom had been too big to resist.

The bright sun had painted her silhouette onto the shower curtain, giving him a good view of the pinkette's body as it was displayed onto the thin fabric. It had taken him a lot to not join her, not to replace her hands with his own when she had so boldly slid them lower and lower, unbeknown of his presence. After finishing his business in the bathroom he had tugged on his pants and sat down by the dying fire, staring at it for a few moments before starting to add more wood to the mixture of flames, ash and burnt tinder. The flames had licked the new pieces of tinder almost as if warning it not to get too close and he had frowned at that, taking it as a warning himself regarding the woman he currently shared the cabin with.

Sakura took it upon herself to prepare breakfast for the two of them. Although lunch was probably a better suited word considering how high the sun stood in the sky by the time she was finished. Setting down two plates of rice omelette's and some scrambled eggs onto the small kitchen table, she let out a restrained sigh before heading to the doorway. The pinkette peeked into the living area, her eyes quickly scanning the room until they finally landed on the swordsman who had moved from his previous position on the floor to sit in the armchair by the bookshelf. His hands were tucked underneath his head to form a makeshift pillow and he seemed to be asleep.

"Zoro," her voice came out shakier than she had anticipated and she blushed at the wavering sound of it. A half lidded eye regarded her uncertain form and she quickly diverted her eyes from his. "Breakfast."

She went back into the kitchen, filling two glasses with water before turning to set them down onto the table as well. He was already seated when she turned around and she bit her lip tentatively while averting her gaze from his once again. They ate in silence, the only sound being their chopsticks as they occasionally hit the porcelain plates. She felt awkward and was sure he felt the same.

Stealing a glance at the swordsman, she found herself gazing into a pair of black eyes. Another blush spread across her cheeks and she quickly looked down onto her plate again. Zoro frowned. She acted weird and he did not like it.

"H-how was it?" she suddenly questioned, her eyes still set firmly onto her plate and the half-eaten omelet.

His fork paused midway to his mouth and his eyes flickered from his chopsticks to the woman. A moment passed before he gave his reply.

"Good, but I've had better." he stated and took another bite of his omelet.

Sakura raised her head to glare at him while her brows furrowed in annoyance. '_Too honest.'_ "I'd like to see you do better." she stated through gritted teeth and watched as a lopsided grin spread on his lips.

He smirked at the feisty woman. "I'm no cook."

Sakura's brow twitched. "Well, neither am I."

"I can tell." was his smug reply.

Sakura clenched her fists together, trying to calm herself while Zoro continued watching the conflicted emotions flashing over the woman's face. She looked cute when she was angry, even though her aura had taken on a much more murderous intent, and he wondered just how far she would take this if he continued pushing her buttons. Stuffing his face with another piece of the rice omelet he suddenly found himself frowning. Food and bickering seemed oddly familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on why nor with whom. His mind went back to when Sakura had been preparing the soup and how he had found some sort of comfort in the sound of the chopping of vegetables. Had he been a chef before ending up here? He highly doubted that. Did he know a chef? Even that seemed surreal considering his built body and three swords which told him he was a swordsman or something similar to that. What would a chef and a swordsman have in common except the usage of sharp blades? He simply couldn't answer his own questions.

A calming breath from the doctor suddenly brought him back to reality and he found himself smirking at the look of determination evident on her features.

"So?" he challenged, curious to see what she had come up with.

"What do you mean _so_?" she retorted sourly and had a sip of her water. Could this man get any more irritating?

"Are you going to let it slide so easily?"

"I don't need to defend my cooking skills to you." she set the glass back onto the table, leaning back in her chair a bit while keeping her eyes on the man before her.

"Lack of,"

"What?"

"Lack of cooking skills." he retorted and set his chopsticks down on the table next to his now empty plate.

Sakura's eyes darkened to a deep green color as she regarded the swordsman. She knew she wasn't the best cook, but even so, he had no right to insult her like he was doing right now.

"Seems like you enjoyed it anyway since you've already finished your plate." she challenged, her eyes boring into his.

Zoro propped his elbows onto the wooden table and rested his chin on top of his hands. He was enjoying this too much. "That doesn't mean I liked it though."

"Tch, you're free to prepare your own food."

"Women belong in the kitchen, don't they?" he questioned with a hint of amusement lingering in his voice. However, it fell on deaf ears.

She was literally fuming at this point. Women belonged in the kitchen? How narrow-minded was this idiot before her? Scooting her chair back, she slowly rose from her seat and picked her plate and glass up from the table. She was pissed off. Offended. Aggravated even and it showed as she forcefully set the porcelain down in the sink. Clenching her fists once again, she turned toward the swordsman. He had shifted on his seat and was now turned towards her, sipping on his water while watching her idly over the edge of his glass. She took three small steps forward, closing the distance between them and leaned down to place her hands atop of his knees. She felt his muscles jerk under the sudden contact and an unidentifiable emotion flickered in his eyes as they widened a fraction.

She slid her hands slowly up his thighs, her darkened eyes locked firmly onto his. He gulped down the last of his water, lowering the glass slightly in between them and met her stare full on. He had no idea what she was thinking at this moment, nor did he care. But even so, he felt intrigued and was curious to see what she would do next. The feeling of her hands on his thighs and the aroma wafting from her newly showered body closed in on his entire being, veiling him in with the soft fragrance of citrus, amber and with an undertone of vanilla and jasmine. The mixture felt forbidden and he could feel himself being drawn towards her, as unnerving as it was.

Her hot breath fanned over his left ear while the tip of her nose brushed lightly against his hair as she leaned in closer. Her voice was dangerously low as she spoke.

"I could kill you in five different ways before you'd even have the time to react. Don't patronize me because I'm a woman, Zoro."

He stiffened, clenching the glass tightly in his right hand while a shiver of excitement traveled down his spine. Her face came into view and he stifled a gasp as he took in her enraged features. Her damp hair hung wildly around her heart shaped face, framing the pale skin with the contrast of her pink hair. Her eyes had taken on a dark emerald color, drawing him into the dangerous, stormy sea of her irises. Her cheeks were tainted by a soft pink color which only made the green in her eyes stand out more. All in all, she looked absolutely breathtaking and the look she was currently giving him, where she dared him to insult her further, only fueled him to go on.

Zoro wasn't one to back down and he had come to learn that neither was the pink-haired woman currently steadying herself against his thighs. A smirk suddenly graced his lips and he watched her eyes lower an inch.

"How would you kill me if I had you pinned against the wall?"

And as quickly as he had uttered those words, Sakura found herself pressed up and locked in between the kitchen wall and his muscular chest. Her wrists were tightly secured in a death-like grip by his hand above her head and a surprised gasp left her lips as realization dawned on her. '_Too fast.'_ she thought and tried tugging her hands free from his grip which only made him tighten his grasp around them. Her eyes went from his eyes to his lips again, watching them form his next words.

"I will ask you again. How would you kill me now, Sakura?" his voice was low and husky, sending shivers up and down her spine and she hated him for the reaction her body had by the sound of his voice.

She glared at him and made another attempt at freeing herself from his grasp, but it was futile. He was stronger than her. If she had been allowed to use chakra she would have been free a long time ago. But she needed to keep her status as a ninja a secret, and she cursed herself for the stupidity of letting her guard down in the first place.

She turned her head so that her cheek was facing him and looked down onto the floor. She had been defeated. There was nothing she could do at this moment. She was still too weak.

His naked chest pressed up against hers made it difficult for her to breathe, but she wasn't sure if it was because of the pressure of it or because of his extremely close proximity. He seemed to experience the same thing by the way his heartbeat suddenly sped up. His breaths fanned over her cheek, but his eyes weren't looking there. Instead his gaze was fully focused on her exposed neck which he had so boldly assaulted during the night. Memories of having her completely flooded his mind and a frown clad his lips when he realized just what sort of hold she currently held on him.

The grip around her wrists loosened and she tugged her hands free, rubbing the bruised flesh tenderly to get some circulation back into her hands. She shot him an irritated look of displeasure and let out a soft gasp when he suddenly pressed his lips against hers.

The kiss was rough and needy and she felt her brains turn to mush when his tongue darted past her lips to fight for dominance over hers. His hands grabbed a hold of her ass and he hoisted her up with her back still against the wall. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips and heard herself responding to the kiss with a low moan while her hands circled around his broad shoulders.

He pulled away after that, black eyes staring into green ones and Sakura could literally see the battle going on inside of his head. His breathing was ragged, just like hers and she shifted her focus from one eye to the other with an occasional dip down to his lips. The air around them felt tense and electrified and she closed her eyes for a second to calm herself.

Zoro was confused. He didn't know what had flown into him. Sakura was just too captivating to resist and he had followed his body's need for her. His tongue darted out to wet his lips and he regarded her face for a moment.

She opened her eyes again and bit down on her lip, seeing his eyes flicker down to watch the action. He leaned in closer, readying himself to capture her lips once again, but she turned her head to the side and felt his body freeze before he reached her.

"Please stop," her voice came out meek and she kept her gaze on the floor near the sink as to avoid eye contact with him.

He pulled away with a frown and looked her over.

"I don't want you to kiss me." she continued and he felt a twinge of regret course through his system. He let her slide back down onto the floor, feeling her hands trail down his chest in the process and his insides twisted delightfully at the sensation. She faced him again, revealing her now hazy green eyes. They were gorgeous. _She_ was gorgeous.

"We need to stop," she started quietly while lowering her gaze to see her hands caressing his toned torso on their own accord. Snatching her hands back, she peeked at him through her dark lashes while a blush spread over her cheeks.

He resisted the smirk that threatened to break out over his lips as he regarded her blushing face, quietly waiting for her to state why.

"I don't want you to kiss me." she repeated and let her arms fall down her sides. Her gaze flickered shamefully to the side and he knew she was contradicting her true feelings.

"Sakura," he began in a low voice and placed his hand under her chin, slowly tilting her head up to meet his eyes. "Say it to my face." he challenged. She closed her eyes again and shook her head no.

"I," she started just above a whisper. "I can't."

She was gone in a heartbeat and he was left alone in the kitchen. A soft sigh left his lips and he turned to face the table again, picking up the plates and his glass before mimicking the pinkette's previous action of placing the porcelain in the sink. Turning the tap of water, he filled the sink with the warm, clear liquid and began scrubbing their plates clean. Perhaps he'd miscalculated her true intentions. Perhaps she was just toying with him.

"I'm heading into town today," she suddenly called from the living area and he turned the water off to hear her better. "There's a woman I need to see and she," she trailed off before appearing in the doorway, shyly looking at the floor instead of at him. "Will you come with me?"

In all honestly, he couldn't wait to get some air, to be able to move and feel the wind against his face again. Perhaps he'd even meet someone who could tell him who he was.

She hurried out of the room after that and he followed at a much slower pace, heading toward the bed to get the shirt he'd been wearing the day prior. He heard her shuffling around in the washroom and decided to sit on the bed until she'd returned. When she finally emerged she found him sitting on the bed with his back against the wall and his hands folded behind his head as a makeshift pillow.

"So?" she questioned and he heard her dump something onto the floor. The clatter of metal against metal reached his ears and he assumed she'd collected her odd-looking weapons from the washroom.

"Am I fit to move around freely, _doc_?" he asked with a ting of mockery lacing his tone and heard her huff at the sentence.

"Just get your shit, Zoro." she snarled and he couldn't resist the grin that spread over his lips.

"Witch," he muttered and opened one eye to glance at the woman.

"Idiot." she shot back, amusement glinting in her eyes.

* * *

Snow fell slowly from the cerulean blue sky, adding another layer of white fluff to the already frozen landscape. Birds were chirping from high up in the trees and Sakura would have found the scenery relaxing and enjoyable if it hadn't been for the fact that Zoro, the idiot swordsman, had managed to get lost every other second and she had to keep a steady eye on his _lack-of-direction-idiot-frame_. They'd been walking straight through the forest, going the same route she'd taken to and from the small village, yet he had managed to stray away from the newly plowed path at least six times already.

She had tried everything. She had made him walk behind her, which had failed, walking in front of her had failed as well and they'd both ended up in the middle of a clearing and had to trace their steps back to find the road again. Walking beside her had worked for a while until _she_ had been distracted by a wild deer further up the road, and when she'd declared her findings to the swordsman, she had realized he was nowhere to be seen.

_He_, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to his lack of direction and blamed _her _for giving him false information or for pointing him the wrong way. And so, he now found himself walking beside the doctor again with her arm tightly secured around his.

Before they had left the small cabin, she had pointed out the green sash he had apparently worn when she had found him, and he now wore it around his waist and had his three swords tucked securely in the green fabric. Having them there felt oddly familiar, yet he couldn't understand why his former self had needed three swords.

Sakura suddenly stopped walking, her ears perking up as the sound of running closed in on them from further up ahead. She hadn't met anyone on this road before and was unsure of what to make of it. Zoro seemed to pick up on her indecisiveness and quirked an eyebrow at her odd behavior. Her eyes met his for a moment and he nodded in silent agreement before tugging at her arm and stepping off the road to hide in the nearby snow-clad foliage.

Three large bears came running with a sleigh fastened with black leather rims around their torsos, dragging the sleigh over the frozen road. Sakura peeked around the bush, seeing five men sitting in the wooden sleigh. White jackets with the marine symbol clad their backs and she quickly hid behind the bush again, hoping they hadn't seen her.

"I'm telling you, sir. This is the only place we have left to explore." one of the men stated while his full focus was on the largest built man of the group. "Roronoa Zoro may very well still be alive."

Sakura's eyes widened at the exchange of words between the marines and quickly turned her head toward the swordsman. His face was emotionless as he followed the sleigh with his eyes. He knew she was watching him and he knew she wanted answers, but he was in no way able to give them to her.

"Roronoa Zoro?" she whispered even though the marines were too far away to be able to hear her.

His black eyes went to hers and he shrugged before standing up and began brushing the snow off of his knees. She mimicked his actions and pulled at the hood of her cloak to shield her bright hair-color from any further people they might meet.

"Are you okay?" she questioned and turned to face Zoro completely. She only had one cloak at the cabin and he had insisted she'd wear it. Instead he was wearing two sweaters, his grey slacks and the green sash along with the boots he had worn the day she had found him.

"Don't worry about me." he stated and began walking until she heatedly called his name from behind.

"Zoro!"

He turned to face her.

"You're going in the wrong direction. Again…"

* * *

Three of the four Strawhat pirates were currently occupying a sleigh they had borrowed from the violent, plum sake loving doctor residing on the highest mountain of Drum Island. Sliding down the snowy path of the mountain in high speed, the captain of the crew whooed in excitement at the velocity they were traveling at. A hand was pressing down on his signature strawhat in an attempt to keep it from flying off of his head from the force of the speed, and a large grin adorned his face, showing off his pearly whites. The redhead was hugging her knees in agony, terrified they would hit a tree on their way down while the blonde did his best to comfort the only woman on their crew. Four reindeer's were pulling the sleigh, their quick legs carrying them swiftly over the frozen landscape. Usopp had stayed behind, claiming his injuries were too severe and needed tending. The doctor had laughed at his cowardice and had prodded at his broken leg with her bony finger, causing the sniper to cry out in pain before Chopper had brought him herbal tea that would boost his immune system and fend off any possible infections. The sniper had been left alone in his room after that and had fallen into a deep sleep where he once again played the part of Sogeking, an alter ego he had created whom lacked the fears his real being forcefully seemed to cling to.

* * *

Zoro and Sakura reached the outskirts of the village about an hour later. Snow was still falling from the sky although in lesser amount than before, and they were both grateful for that. The medic turned to the swordsman with a stern look adorning her face.

"We'll need a sleigh to reach the top of the mountain, so I'm gonna see if I can rent one." she started and peered down the busy street ahead of them.

Zoro spotted a tavern not too far away and nodded toward the small building. "I'll be in the tavern."

Sakura followed the direction and nodded in agreement. "I'll find you." she continued. "Will you be alright on your own?"

The look he sent her made her regret her question. Of course he would be alright.

"Just stay away from the marines." she warned.

A smirk graced his lips at that and he saw the blush that spread over her cheeks before she turned her head, shielding it from view by the fabric of her hood.

"I'll be fine, Sakura." he told her. "After all, I've got Wado Ichimonji with me."

"Huh?"

He met her confused stare with one of his own. '_Wado Ichimonji?'_ he questioned himself and saw his hand resting atop of the white sword resting in his sash. "I don't know." he clarified with a slight shrug of his shoulders and let go of the hilt. The white sword felt special in a way, like he was supposed to treasure it.

"Alright," the pinkette muttered and started walking toward the busy streets. "Don't get lost." she added and shot the swordsman a playful look.

He huffed in annoyance and headed towards the tavern. He couldn't wait to get indoors and get some warmth into his system.

Sakura walked down the snowy streets, looking for somewhere to rent a sleigh. She didn't have much beri left and doubted she'd be able to pay for one even if she would find one. Heading into the nearest store, she headed directly to the cashier which was an old man with a curly mustache decorating his old, wrinkly face.

"Can I help you, miss?" he started with a large grin on his lips.

Sakura shuddered slightly at the vibes he gave off and pulled her hood off, revealing her exotic looking features. "I'm in need of a sleigh to see Dr. Kureha." she began. "But I don't have much-…"

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. "That witch, huh? I'd stay a long way from her if I were you." he muttered sourly.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the man. "Do you know where I can rent one?" she retorted, trying to keep her calm.

"Try the fruit market further down the street." the curly-mustached man replied. "Mr Yamato visits the witch regularly."

Sakura thanked him and left his shop, her eyes scanning the busy streets in front of her in search of the fruit market. People were filling the streets and shielding her view, yet she continued walking down the road the curly-mustached man had pointed out. As she passed a decrepit building, she noticed five wanted posters adorning the wall, and she stopped abruptly as the picture of a certain green-haired man caught her eye. Ripping the poster from it's pins, she gave it a quick once over before stuffing it into her medical pouch. She needed to find Zoro, and that quick.

She reached the fruit market and hurried inside, heading straight to the cashier again. The young man behind the counter gave her a once over, grinning widely as he obviously enjoyed her unique features.

"I need a sleigh to visit ," Sakura began in a rush and met the young man's stare full on.

"What's the hurry?" the man questioned and nodded in appreciation as he took in her exotic hair and her pale face.

Sakura raised an eyebrow and leaned closer. "I have a friend who's in need of medical treatment."

"Is that so?" the man retorted with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sure this _friend_ of yours will be fine."

Sakura's eyes narrowed and she slammed her fist onto the counter, unintentionally cracking the marbled surface with a unconscious use of chakra.

"Heh," she bit her lip while regarding the man in front of her. "I was told I could find a sleigh here."

The youngster took a step back and put his hands up in defeat. "O-of course ma'am. We have one left. You c-can have it."

The pinkette tilted her head in question, not fully understanding the full meaning of his words.

"It's in the back, I'll prepare it for you." the young man added and hurried to the back door.

"How much will that cost?" she raised her voice after the male and heard him shout a "Nothing!" back. Smirking triumphantly, she saw a small section of wool cloaks across the small store and went over to the collection of clothing. Picking a black one that looked like it would fit the swordsman, she called after the clerk once again. "Add a cloak to that. I'll be back soon." and with that she left the warmth of the small store, heading back into the mass of people on the other side of the door.

Zoro stumbled out of the tavern with two bottles of sake in his hands. He'd downed another three bottles in the tavern until the waitress had kindly asked him to leave, stating she didn't want any trouble in her bar. She had offered him another two bottles as a bribery which he had gladly accepted since he didn't have any beri on himself, and he had left soon after. The sun would begin to set in a few hours and he needed to find his pink-haired friend before it got too dark, and so he hurried in the direction he thought she would be at.

The ocean slammed against the icy cliffs and he cursed the sight before him. Turning to face the direction he had come from, he started walking again, intent on finding Sakura, but as he rounded a corner he stood by the cliffs again and let out a sigh of irritation. This town seemed to mess with him and he let out a growl of exasperation before turning around, heading back into town.

By the third time the same cliffs came into view he felt his blood boil in irritation and he quickly headed back up the busy streets.

Sakura left the tavern with an annoyed look on her face. Zoro was nowhere to be seen and since she knew how bad he was with directions she felt herself starting to sweat. If he had gotten lost, he could be anywhere.

She headed down the streets with the extra cloak tucked securely under her arm and rounded a corner but quickly turned back the way she had come from. A group of marines came walking up behind her and she felt her senses prickle of nervousness as she pretended to window-shop by the nearest boutique while waiting for the marines to pass. They spoke of strawhats and she wondered idly why they were after those ridiculous hats in this cold weather.

The sight of green hair reached the corner of her eye and she turned to face the direction of it, seeing the man she'd been looking for. He was still dressed in his slacks and sweaters. His three swords hung by his right hip and she peered discreetly at the group of marines, making sure they were unbeknown of the swordsman before she strode towards him.

"I've been looking all over for you," she seethed through gritted teeth and handed him the cloak.

"And I've been looking for you." he retorted sourly while fingering the wool fabric. "Where were you?"

Her eyes met his and she felt her breath hitch at the sight of his annoyed glare. "I was getting us a sleigh. I thought you'd stay at the tavern."

He flung the cloak over his shoulders and fastened it with a pin under his chin. "I got kicked out." he retorted and felt himself relax under the warm fabric.

Sakura's brow arched at that. "Why?"

He shrugged at that. "She said she didn't want no trouble."

"Huh?"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "The waitress," he muttered. "She said I was trouble."

Sakura's hands went to the medical pouch around her hips and she dug out the wanted poster she had stolen earlier. She handed him the piece of paper, looking at his face for any kind of reaction.

"Pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro," he read out loud before meeting her stare. "Bounty 60,000,000. You could turn me in and earn some extra beri."

"Don't be an idiot," she grumbled and heard the voices of the marines come closer to where they were standing. Snatching the piece of paper back and stuffing it into her medical pouch, she bit her lip while stepping closer to the swordsman. "Kiss me."

"What?" he questioned and glanced down at her smaller frame.

"Just do it." she insisted and got up on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck. The new angle made her hood fall back onto her neck, revealing her pastel pink hair. "Now!"

He obliged to her request and lowered his lips onto hers, feeling her fingers entangle themselves in his hair. Her lips were soft against his and he suppressed a groan of contentment when her body came up flushed against his still cold frame. Snaking his arms around her waist while dropping the bottles of sake onto the snowy ground, he pulled her closer and heard her moan into his mouth while their tongues slowly danced with one another. The sound of voices reached his ears and he was just about to pull away from her lips when she deepened the kiss further and pushed him back against the wall.

His hand trailed up and down her spine, relishing in the feeling of her body against his and she dragged her fingers through his short, soft hair, hearing the marines give a slow whistle at the scene the two of them were making. Zoro stiffened at the sound and made another attempt at pulling away to glare at the onlookers, but as he removed his lips from hers, he heard her pleading voice escape her slightly swollen lips. "Don't stop."

His eye shot to hers to make sure he'd heard her right, and when her hazy, half-lidded irises peered up at him, he felt himself loose all control over himself.

He picked her up and pushed her back against the wall while she wrapped her legs around his waist just like she'd done earlier that day. His lips met hers in a mind-blowing kiss and she threw her head back against the wall while another moan left her lips. The onlookers grinned at the sight before a roaring voice boomed from further down the street, and the small crew hurried down to meet their superior.

Zoro's lips attacked the pinkette's exposed neck, earning him another moan from the woman whom tugged the hood of his black cloak over his head. He unconsciously thrust his hips up against hers in a need for more contact and Sakura gasped loudly at the antics while her eyes shot open to peer into his. She nibbled softly at his lower lip while clinging onto his shoulders and finished her ministrations with another astonishing kiss before she leaned her forehead against his.

He let her down after that and felt her arms snake around his waist while he rested his hands on her hips. She gave a soft peck on his lips, before letting her tongue dart out to wet her own and he felt the warmth radiating through her slightly open cloak, warming him from the inside and out.

"We should probably go and get that sleigh." her voice was shaky as she spoke and he found himself smiling at the sound.

Grasping her chin in between his thumb and index finger, he tilted her head up to meet his again and planted another soft kiss on her lips. "I agree." he stated and and took a step back to allow her to show the way.

* * *

The ride down the mountain took the Strawhat pirates a few hours and they managed to reach the nearest village before the sun stood low on the horizon, getting ready to set and cast the snow island in darkness with the moon as it's only light source.

Luffy hopped out of the wooden vessel and petted the nearest reindeer while waiting for the other two to join him. Clad in a red jacket rimmed with fur and his characteristic strawhat on his head, the captain peered down the empty streets for any sign of life and saw another sleigh, pulled by two reindeer's come straight their way.

Sakura's grip around the reins tightened when she spotted three people in front of them. "Keep your head low." she muttered to the swordsman when they got closer to the trio. She recognized them from the other wanted posters. Her blood froze at the sight. '_So this is what pirates look like.'_ she thought to herself and urged the reindeer's to go faster.

Zoro sent her a look of displeasure but did as he was told anyway and pretended to look for something in the back of the sleigh where Sakura had left two bags of stuff she had gotten from the fruit market. How she had managed to get everything for free was a mystery to him, but he supposed having her around was quite handy that way.

Luffy waved to the pink-haired woman when they closed in on the distance between them, and he grinned widely when she slowed down the pace of the reindeer's.

"Say," the one with the strawhat started. "Do you know where we can find some meat?"

Sakura raised a brow in surprise as she regarded the pirate's features. "Uh, try the tavern further down the streets." She wanted nothing more than to flee the place. Pirates were bad people and her kinds sworn enemy. At least Zoro had turned out to be on her side and for that, she was thankful.

"Alright!" the young man grinned widely and turned to his crew mates.

Sakura was just about to urge the two animals ahead of her to pick up the pace when the redhead of the group stepped closer.

"Do you know if there's a shipwright around here?" she questioned, her eyes flickered to Zoro when he suddenly turned around with an apple in his hand. His hood was still on and shielded most of his face along with his unique hair color. The redhead's dark brown eyes went back to the pinkette and she offered a small smile.

"I'm not," Sakura began before the blond of the crew stepped forward with hearts in his eyes.

"May I request you grace us with your name, oh fair maiden~" he asked and leaned casually against the side of the sleigh, slowly reaching his hand out to grasp hers.

Sakura shuddered at his odd antics, completely mesmerized by his curly eyebrows and felt the swordsman stiffen by her side when the blonde uttered his question. The redhead smacked the blonde at the back of his head while glaring heatedly at him.

"Sanji! Stop with your perverted thoughts! You're scaring her!" she scolded.

"But Nami-swan~" the blonde wailed. "Such an unique looking beauty deserves to experience the power of love~"

Sakura paled notably at that. "We really need to get going." she stated and waved her hand dismissively before tugging at the reins once again. Who were these freaks? "As for the shipwright, I'm not sure. I'm- we're not from around here." she added and offered a meek smile.

The one with the strawhat stepped closer, still wearing the large grin and Sakura felt her senses prickle in danger. However, he just raised his hand and waved her off.

Sakura and Zoro could hear the bickering between Sanji and Nami a long way from there while the captain only laughed at the scene. "What an odd bunch," Sakura groaned and whipped with the reins to get the two reindeer's to speed up. It would take them some time to reach the top of the mountain and she wasn't too hyped on traveling up the steep road by night.

The swordsman stayed quiet by her side, munching on the apple he had picked out earlier. The blonde guy had hit a nerve within him when speaking to Sakura the way he had, and he had clenched his fists angrily to prevent himself for blowing his cover. Sakura seemed oblivious to his building rage and he shot her a passive look, completely masking his true feelings. If he ever met that man again, he would pummel him to the end of the earth and enjoy every drop of blood that he would make sure spilled from his idiotic-looking face.

* * *

At a far away island, the sun was just peeking up over the horizon. A young male ran quickly through the steel-clad corridors of an underground hi-tech facility. Pressing his thumb swiftly over a small scanner near a barricaded door, he waited impatiently for the doors to slide open. He rounded a corner, his thin legs carrying his lithe frame past a couple of glass windows revealing several rooms with scientists working on their newest inventions. He rushed through another set of doors until he came to a counter where another male sat typing on his computer. He sprinted past the male and heard a shout of protest before he finally reached his destination.

He didn't bother to knock and instead he pushed the doors open and stopped abruptly in front of the large desk situated near the wall.

"Sir," he panted.

"What gives you the right to barge into my office unannounced?" an old man questioned from his position on the other side of the desk. The back of his chair was facing the younger male, yet he didn't bother turning around.

"Sir, we have gathered new intelligence." the young male urged while trying to calm his erratic heartbeats.

"We get new intelligence all the time. Please leave." the elder of the two commanded and pushed a button on his chair which started a set of tv-monitors on the wall he was facing. From there he could see the whole facility and the scientists currently working on the tasks he had given them.

"But sir, we have found a chakra user." the youngster's voice spoke up again and the elder male tilted his head to the side, clearly interested in learning more.

"Oh? Go on."

Straightening his posture, the younger male nodded in approval and went on. "We haven't figured out the exact location yet. The signal keeps disappearing."

"They're masking their presence. How clever." the elder chimed in with a smirk spreading on his lips. "How many?"

"Just one, sir."

The chair turned after that, yet not fully towards the younger male. "Prepare the ship,"

"Sir, we don't know the exact location." the youth cut in before taking a quick step back as the elder slammed his fist onto the steel-colored desk.

"I do not like to repeat myself, you piece of shit. Where did the signal come from?"

Hanging his head in shame, the boy spoke quietly. "Between East blue and South Blue, but that is all we know as of now."

"Prepare the ship and send the elite."

"Sir?"

"We are going to capture ourselves a ninja."

* * *

**A/N:** This is by far the longest chapter I have ever written. Sorry it took me a while to get it up. Last week was horrible and I barely wrote anything due to my allergies kicking in which made my eyes all itchy and made me all tired, so I hope I delivered with this one.

**Please review. **:3


	6. 06 - When The Lights Go Out

**Chapter 6  
When The Lights Go Out  
**(5ive)

* * *

Luffy sprinted down the empty snow-clad streets in search of the tavern the pink-haired girl had pointed out for him, leaving both Nami and Sanji behind. The redhead scowled at the impatience of her captain and took out her anger on the blonde chef of the crew, whom didn't mind the attention, albeit negative, at all. Grasping onto the reins of the reindeer's, the chef tugged at them to get the two animals to follow while they too made their way down into the heart of the small village. Taking a slow drag of his cigarette, Sanji peered further up ahead at his retreating idiot of a leader and shook his head lightly.

"Will he be alright on his own?" he asked the redhead and watched another scowl form on her features.

Glaring heatedly at the chef, Nami sighed exasperatedly. "This is Luffy we're talking about. He's bound to get himself into trouble."

"Are you alright, Nami-Swan?~"

"No." she stated. "Our ship is gone, we're stuck on a freaking snow-island, Zoro is missing and if we don't find someplace to get a new ship we'll be stuck here forever."

"At least we have each other," the chef mused. "We could get a house, I'll prepare your food and you can shower me with your endless depths of love~"

The palm of her hand collided with the back of his head and Sanji stumbled forward from the impact. "Leave me out of your perverted thoughts, you idiot." she seethed through gritted teeth.

Sanji rubbed the back of his head, interpreting the words coming from the navigator in a completely different way. "I love your feisty side, Nami-swan~" he declared lovingly and went in for a hug, but was roughly kicked to the ground.

Setting her foot gracefully back down onto the snowy surface, Nami turned her attention towards the tavern that was coming into view. Nighttime was slowly creeping up on them and they would probably have to spend the night at an inn. Tucking her hand casually in her pocket, she fingered the bunt of beri as a form of comfort. Money would not be a problem as long as she was around. She would make sure of it in her own way.

* * *

Zoro was tired. He was cold. His feet felt like they had been stuck into a large bowl of freezing water. A light headache was beginning to form by the bruised section of his skull. He was tired of the snow, and all he could think about was how badly he wanted to get indoors.

The village had been shielded from the wind, he had noticed as Sakura and he traveled further up the mountain. Here, they were more or less fully exposed to the roaring winds, so he tugged the cloak tighter around his muscular frame to prevent the icy fingers of the breeze from cooling him down further.

Glancing at the pinkette, he took notice of her tired form hidden beneath the wool fabric of her cloak. Here eyes were squinted together, probably to shield her pools of green from the snow. She looked to be deep in thought and he found himself wondering what she was contemplating.

Letting out a shaky breath, he buried his face deeper into the hood of his cloak, hoping they would reach their destination sooner rather than later.

Sakura was lost in her thoughts. Today had been the first time she had seen the marines on the island, and they seemed to be searching high and low for the man sitting next to her. Why, she didn't know. His wanted poster had labeled him as a pirate hunter. Wouldn't that leave them on the same side? Perhaps he had committed a serious crime and they were after him because of that. Or maybe he had been fighting those other pirates? After all, he had been quite beat up when she had found him. If that was the case, they seemed to be a tough bunch to crack if they were still alive and kicking. Sakura herself probably couldn't even take them on even though they did look quite weak. She knew better than to judge them though. Her old sensei, Kakashi, had told her and her boys to always look underneath the underneath. But why were the marines after Zoro? That part didn't make any sense to her.

Sighing deeply, she urged the reindeer's to go faster by whipping with the reins. Night was creeping up on them and she didn't want to find out what might lurk in the shadows on this island when they were as far away from civilization as they were.

* * *

Luffy shoved another piece of meat into his already stuffed mouth, signaling for the waitress to keep the food coming. Nami and Sanji found him sitting by the counter once they entered the small tavern, and together they stepped up to their captain, relishing in the warmth of the local. Nami slid into the seat next to the rubber-man and motioned for the waitress to bring her sake. Sanji, on the other hand, leaned casually against the counter on Luffy's other side, his eyes scanning the nearly full room for any sort of threat. Most of the men in the tavern were locals, he noted and relaxed a bit before lighting another cigarette. However, as his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit light in the faraway corner, he spotted a small group of marines drinking merrily at a rounded table. Stealing a glance at Luffy, he prayed the captain would keep a low profile and not draw too much attention to their small gathering.

The strawhat captain suddenly nudged Sanji's arm. "E wodh ee ee wlly ood, awi!" the rubber-man grinned with his cheeks popping out from the amount of food he had stuffed into his mouth.

"I can't understand what you're saying, you idiot." the cook muttered while taking in the ridiculous looking face of his captain. Sometimes he found himself wondering just _why_ he had agreed to join his crew.

Luffy swallowed down the half chewed pieces of meat with another smile. "The food here is really good, Sanji."

"I'm sure." the cook stated nonchalantly and eyed the group of marines again just in time to see one of the men push his chair back and stagger towards the bar. This could turn out to be a problem.

The marine leaned against the bar and let his arm fall over the edge, fingering a bottle of rum before pulling it up onto the wooden surface. His eyes went to the red-haired navigator, eyeing her for a moment before a toothy grin clad his features.

"What's such a pretty lady like yourself doing here at this hour?"

Nami watched him from the corner of her eye, not at all fazed by his pathetic pickup line. The waitress chose that moment to step forward, handing the redhead a bottle of sake and a small glass. Nami took a long swig of the strong substance before slamming the glass onto the table. The marine by her side stepped closer and started fingering the upper part of her coat.

"You're too hot to be wearing this much clothing," the marine slurred, the back of his fingers brushed against the navigator's jawline when he pulled the furred top of her coat down to get a better view of her soft, pale skin. "Why don't you come over to my room and I'll help you get undressed?"

Sanji was fuming. How dared the marine lay his filthy hands on _his_ Nami?

"Oi, shitty marine!" the cook addressed and stepped in between the two.

The man took a step back, eyeing the newcomer. "Get out of my way, curly brows!" he growled before roughly shoving Sanji to the side.

"I've got it under control," the navigator declared and shot the chef an angry look. Turning her focus to the marine, she set the small glass back onto the counter and narrowed her eyes at the man. "That'll be 10,000 beri for fingering my brand new coat and another 50,000 for touching my face. Pay up!"

The marine snickered and took a step forward yet again. His fingers slid over the fabric of her coat over her well developed chest until they ended up by the zipper. "And how much would you charge for the night, slut?"

Her eyes darkened at that and she pushed his hand off of her chest, feeling the furious energy from the cook from his position behind her.

Sanji was seeing red. "How dare you utter those filthy words in front of a woman?" he questioned before he turned on his heel and kicked the marine straight in the face - sending him flying over the bar where he collided roughly with the endless shelves of liquor. "Don't you dare use that ugly word in front of a woman ever again, you piece of shit!"

The remaining group of marines rose from their seats after hearing the shattering of bottles and came stumbling towards the trio.

"Oi! Isn't that Cat Burglar Nami and Black Leg Sanji?" one of them questioned while raising his hand to point at the two.

Sanji tsk'ed in annoyance for getting caught and took another drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke in their direction.

"Do we fight?" he asked the redhead and turned towards her. He was met by the view of her empty chair and an empty glass on the bar. "Shit! Luffy, let's go!" he growled and sprinted towards the door.

"After them!" another of the marine's shouted before the group rushed after the two pirates.

Luffy raised his hand with his eyes set on the waitress, completely oblivious to the scene that had unfolded in the tavern. "More food!"

* * *

Nami leaned against the cool outer wall of the tavern, clutching the bottle of sake in her hand. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and she stiffened, hiding further among the shadows when voices suddenly came closer. She saw the sprinting form of Sanji as he ran past her hiding place, tightly followed by her assaulter and other marines from the bar. She had been hoping they wouldn't be back on the island for a couple of more days, but with her luck she supposed this should have been expected. Taking a step forward, she peeked over the corner of the building in front of her but stepped back with a shriek when a body suddenly flew past her vision and crashed against the outer wall of the tavern. She could hear Sanji's voice again, cursing the marines for being indecent with the love of his life and another white—clad person came bursting through the air, landing on top of the first one.

The navigator's shocked expression soon turned into a smirk, and she crouched down next to the two males, digging her hand into their pockets to steal their beri along with whatever else she might find of value. A gold rimmed watch was quickly snatched from one of the marine's wrists and she pocketed it along with the beri with a swift movement of her hand. '_This is all too easy.'_ she mused to herself with a grin forming on her lips.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Cat Burglar Nami," a deep voice suddenly said from her right, causing the navigator to quickly rise to her feet. "You know, stealing is a crime." the deep voice continued and a largely built male, with dark blue hair emerged from the shadows. "However, stealing from a Marine is a felony on a whole different level. I suppose the others are around as well?"

She staggered back, her back colliding with the wall of the nearest building as she took in his well-built form. A Vice Captain stood before her, she concluded by the looks of his long, white, unbuttoned coat with blue and yellow shoulder-pads. He was tall and muscular and she would clearly be no match for him.

"Cat caught your tongue? Quite ironic, don't you think?" he marveled, showing off his perfectly aligned teeth.

She needed to get out of there, and that fast. '_Luffy, Sanji, I'm sorry!'_

Turning on her heel, she ran out of the alleyway without a glance back.

Sanji had just finished off the last marine with a swift kick to his jaw, and had stuffed his hands into his pockets when he spotted the redhead sprinting across the snow-clad street.

"Nami," he muttered surprisingly, bringing a hand up to his lips where he popped another cigarette into his mouth.

When the Vice Captain came into view, running after the navigator, Sanji's blood ran cold. That blue hair was recognizable from anywhere across the world. That man could be none other than Seisyll Bricius, a man whom despised women with a passion that rivaled Sanji's love for them. Clenching his fists, he took after the two until a blur of red and blue flew past him. "…no rocket!" he heard from the blurry mass and he smirked. '_Luffy,' _

Nami threw a small bundle of beri onto the shiny surface of the inn's counter. "Two rooms for the night, please." she demanded rather than requested.

The old lady on the other side of the counter eyed the trio warily. Sanji had a trail of blood trickling from his lip, whereas Luffy looked as if he had rolled around in ashes, with random cuts and bruises on the exposed parts of his body. His jacket was torn at the front from one of Seisyll's attacks. The man had been strong, but Luffy was stronger.

"A-hah-hah," Nami laughed nervously. "They can't stand each other at times." she lied.

Luffy tilted his head to the side. "What are you talking about?" he asked clearly dumbfounded by her remark. "Sanji and I get along just fine. Right, Sanji?"

Sanji's eyes had turned to hearts and he clasped his hands together underneath his chin. "Does that mean we will share room, Nami-swan?~"

A vein popped on Nami's forehead and she quickly turned around to embed her fist right in his face. "Shut up, pervert!" Turning to face the inn-owner again, she faked a smile. "Can we get the keys now?"

The lady watched the pirates fearfully. Who were these crazy people?

"Sorry, we're fully booked for the night." she tried while attempting to hide the keys in a drawer.

Nami's perceptive gaze trailed to the woman's hand, and she slammed her fist onto the counter. "I will take 1000 beri away from this bunt for every second that passes before we get our keys." she spat heatedly while pressing a finger hard onto the bunt of money she had offered.

Too scared to do anything but oblige, the old lady quickly snatched the beri from the counter and stuffed it in her pant pocket. Throwing the keys onto the counter, she backed away slightly.

"Second floor. Bathroom's at the end of the hallway. Good night!" and with that she scurried off, leaving the trio behind.

Pleased with the way things had gone, Nami held the two keys up with a smile and handed Sanji one key while keeping the other. Today was a good day.

* * *

After another two hours of biting cold and roaring winds, Zoro and Sakura were finally beginning to reach the top of the mountain. They were both frozen to the bones and tired from traveling for so long. And now, the silhouette of a castle was finally coming into view a bit ahead of them. Sakura nudged the half asleep swordsman with her elbow.

"Wake up,"

Zoro clutched his cloak around himself and peered at the pink-haired woman by his side.

"We're almost there." she offered a small smile while nodding her head in the direction of the castle.

"About damn time."

The reindeer's came to a halt in front of two large, wooden doors not too long after. Sakura and Zoro climbed out of the sleigh, thankful for being able to move their stiff limbs again.

"This place is huge," Sakura stated with a hint of admiration lingering in her voice while tilting her head back to get a better view of what she could see of the castle.

The castle was built in white bricks, stretching far up into the air with one large tower where a black jolly roger with a grinning skull and three heart-shaped sakura petals flickered back and forth in the strong wind. From what she could see, the castle seemed to consist of seven stories, with shorter towers adorning the corners of the building.

Zoro yawned from behind her before stepping in front of her smaller frame, heading towards the entrance. "You coming?"

She nodded and came into step beside him. He pushed the heavy doors open and stepped into the dimly lit entrance. Dark eyes scanned the spacey room for any sort of threat. The pinkette joined him soon after, stomping the layers of snow off of her shoes onto the stone-clad floor. He sent her a look of disapproval, finding the action unnecessary since her steps echoed throughout the room, signaling their arrival.

"Sorry," she apologized meekly and went further into the room.

Zoro followed her without a word into a narrow hallway.

"Hello?" she asked into the dark. "Is anybody here?"

The echoing of footsteps reached their ears, followed by a woman laughing. Turning in the direction of the voice, they saw a slender, elderly woman coming towards them the same way they had entered the hallway.

"Shi-shi-shi-shi-shi. Guests at this hour? I don't suppose you're here to steal the secret to my youth?" the woman questioned with a devilish grin evident on her features.

Zoro's hand went automatically to his three swords, unconsciously gripping the hilt of Wado Ichimonji. "Who are you?" he demanded, his baritone voice echoing throughout the corridor.

"Come closer, son."

"Tch," he took a step back, readying himself to fight if necessary.

"Zoro," Sakura scolded from behind him before she took a stand in front of his well-built form. "Sorry for the late visit." she continued with her hands up in an apologetic manner. "We're here to see Dr. Kureha."

The woman came closer, forcing the two newcomers to back away. "Are you hurt?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "No."

"I can see it in the way you move, girl. You've overexerted yourself."

Sakura paled, thinking back to the nightly actions between her and Zoro. "We've traveled a long way," she tried and let her hands drop to her sides.

"Shi-shi-shi-shi!" the woman before them laughed, not buying Sakura's explanation at all.

"Oi! Tell us were she is, old hag." Zoro growled impatiently from the darkness.

The woman's eyebrow twitched at that. "Old? Who are you calling old, bastard?"

"You look to be at least 200 years old, damn fossil." the swordsman continued his taunting with a wicked grin playing on his lips as he took a stand next to the pinkette.

Sakura smacked him on the back of his head. "Zoro!" she growled and met his pissed off stare with one of her own.

The moment was short-lived when a foot suddenly appeared before them. Zoro unsheathed his white katana in the blink of an eye to defend both him and the medic. However, Sakura had moved on her own, swiftly throwing her arms up to form an x in front of her chest. The older woman's foot collided with Sakura's defense. The ninja wasted no time, quickly grasping onto the lady's ankle, twisting the attached leg to bring the attacker off balance before she tugged the woman's slender body closer and roughly pinned her to the wall where she immobilized her arms behind her back in the process.

"Ah," the stranger smiled. "You must be Sakura. I expected no less from Tsunade's student. Shi-shi-shi-shi."

A look of surprise flickered over the ninja's face as the woman's words registered and she quickly let go of the woman.

"Dr. Kureha," Sakura stated shamefully while inclining her head forward in a small bow. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

Kureha cut her off with another laugh. "I expected you sooner and not accompanied by _him_." she said while glaring at the swordsman whom slowly sheathed his katana.

Sakura was fast. Faster than he had expected her to be. And her moves… He narrowed his eyes while taking in her form. She was in remarkable shape for a doctor and hadn't flinched when putting the old hag in her place. He frowned while suspiciously watching her interact with the elderly woman, coming to the conclusion she was hiding something from him. He would have to be careful from now on and distance himself from her. No. '_Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.'_ He would stay with her but keep a closer eye on her person. The two women went back into the entrance of the castle, leaving him behind in the hallway. He would uncover her secret one way or another.

"…so we left them outside and-"

"Chopper!" the lady roared suddenly.

The small tanuki jumped at her strict voice and peered over his shoulder from his hiding spot at a doorway to their left. Sakura's eyebrow twitched. A small deer-like creature with a pink hat propped in between its horns was standing on two legs, with its back turned towards them, obviously trying to hide from the newcomers. How it managed to stay completely visible to them and not be aware of it, was a wonder.

"You keep the food running freely in the castle?" Zoro asked with a brow raised in surprise.

Chopper's eyes widened at the swordsman's words, and he hid his face by looking into the wall again, thinking it made him invisible.

'_How dumb can one be?'_ Sakura facepalmed. "It's so cute!"

The reindeer turned its head to look at the pink-haired female. "Giving me compliments is not going to make me happy, asshole!" it squealed in delight while a pink blush clad its cheeks.

Sakura staggered back, clearly surprised. "Huh? It speaks?! That's so awesome!"

"Tch," the swordsman uttered in irritation. '_There's nothing cute about that stupid steak.'_

"Chopper," Kureha repeated while tapping her foot impatiently. "Bring our guests to their _separate_ rooms." she continued, emphasizing separate while sending another glare in the swordsman's direction. Sakura was her responsibility as of now, and she did not want to experience the wrath of her old-time friend if something were to happen to the pinkette. Turning to face Sakura, she offered a small but genuine smile. "Chopper will lead the way. I'll take care of your sleigh."

Sakura curtsied minimally. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Dr. Kureha waved her hand dismissively. "Get some sleep. You look like you could use some." And with that, she left the room to see to the reindeer's.

Chopper cowered under the heavy gaze of Zoro. The swordsman's hand went to the hilt of his katana yet again as he eyed the tanuki. Were they allowed to eat it? Were they supposed to _capture_ their own food at this place? Surely, it wouldn't be too difficult trapping that small animal in a corner and cut it open.

Sakura crouched down to Chopper's level in an attempt to look less intimidating. "Chopper, was it?" her big green eyes stared into Chopper's rounded black ones with amazement. "I'm Sakura." She continued and pointed at herself with her thumb while a genuine smile spread over her lips. "I have never met a talking deer before."

"I am not a deer, goddammit. I am a reindeer!" the tanuki exclaimed heatedly while raising its hooves into the air for extra emphasis.

Sakura laughed heartedly and got onto her feet again. "You're cute." she smiled and stepped closer to its smaller frame.

"When do we eat it?" Zoro asked from behind her, making Chopper flinch before taking off hiding the wrong way again.

Sakura shot him another stare of disapproval. Why was he so aggravated?

Turning her focus back on the reindeer, she stepped closer to it, gently placing her hand on its shoulder.

"That's Zoro. He's a bit grumpy today but a good guy nonetheless." she wasn't sure if she was comforting the reindeer or herself with those words. His place in this world was still a mystery to her, but she was sure she would get her answers sooner or later, depending on whenever his amnesia would give way for more memories to surface.

Chopper glanced at the swordsman with fear in his eyes. A wicked grin spread over Zoro's lips. Taunting the tanuki was too much fun. Leaning forward an inch, he made himself look as intimidating as possible. "Boo!"

Chopper let out a fearful yelp before descending onto the floor. His eyelids were open, eyes rolled to the back of his head. He fainted.

Sakura carefully picked the small reindeer up in her arms and rose to her feet. Turning to face Zoro, she stared him down with a cold, threatening glare.

"That was uncalled for, Zoro." she spat.

The swordsman sent her a passive look of his own. "I was joking."

"He fainted," she growled. "I never took you for a heartless bastard until now."

A slender brow arched above his right eye. "I am not heartless, Sakura." he sighed. Somehow, her being angry with him made his insides twist and turn unpleasantly. He couldn't put his finger on why and he couldn't understand how she already had that hold on him. "Let's just find our rooms and go to bed."

"How do you expect us to do that? _He_ was supposed to show us the rooms!" she snarled and peeked down at the reindeer in her arms. Her eyes softened as she took in his relaxed form. Petting it carefully, she marveled at the softness of his fur. "Chopper?" she cooed tenderly, trying to wake him from his fainted state. "Chopper!" she tried again before a impatient sigh escaped her lips. "We'll need to find water."

"Or we could throw it out in the snow." Zoro retorted sourly. If anyone deserved her caresses, it was him. Not some stupid tanuki-shit-head.

Sakura rolled her eyes at the swordsman and started walking down the hallway in front of them. '_Ignorance is bliss, Sakura.'_ she thought to herself. '_Ignore him and his stupid comments.'_

The hallway soon split into two more hallways and in front of her was a large wooden door. Pushing the door open with the help of her hips she found herself staring into a large dining room.

"Perfect!" she mused to herself and stepped inside.

A robust oak-table was placed in the middle of the room, while matching chairs clad with red velvet cushions on the seats and backrests, aligned the sides of the table. It looked luxurious and expensive, something she hadn't expected at this far away island. Laying the tanuki down on the large table, she then headed towards another door to her left. Pushing the door open, she found herself in the kitchen.

"I'll be back," she called out to the swordsman, whom had just entered the dining room, and went to get some water.

She found the green-haired man slumped down on one of the chairs near the reindeer when she returned. He looked beat. She supposed that were to be expected since his body was still recovering from his injuries.

"You okay?" she questioned softly as she set a small bowl of water down onto the dark surface of the table.

"Never been better." he mumbled while running his fingers lazily over the tabletop.

"Zoro," she warned and started dabbing Chopper's forehead with a damped cloth. "Talk to me."

"It's nothing I can't handle." he stated honestly. The throbbing in his head had gotten worse since they arrived at the castle. He supposed the cold was what had started it and that it would pass once he got some sleep.

Sakura regarded him for a moment. She would have to give him a check-up later. The small reindeer suddenly moved. Round, dark eyes stared into Sakura's emerald green ones.

"You're awake," she smiled.

Chopper sat up slowly with the help of Sakura's hands for support. "Wh-what happened?"

"You fainted." Zoro stated, causing the reindeer's eyes to widen in fear by the sound of his voice, and within a second he was standing on the floor, trying to hide behind Sakura.

"It's okay," she said in an attempt to comfort the reindeer.

"H-how is it o-okay? H-he wants to e-eat me!" Chopper stammered from behind the ninja.

"He won't eat you," Sakura reassured and sent Zoro another glare. "Could you please show us to our rooms?"

"H-hai!" the tanuki replied with a slight nod of his head. "Follow m-me."

* * *

Sakura laid in bed half an hour later. Chopper had kindly lead them throughout the many levels of the castle until they came to the fifth floor. He had told them other guests were residing in the other rooms down the hallway and that they were scary. Her mind drifted to the swordsman whom had gotten a different room further down the hallway, as requested of Dr. Kureha. She hadn't gotten the chance to give him the check-up since he had retreated soon after being introduced to his new sleeping quarter.

There was a minimal fireplace in her room, which provided enough heat to keep her warm. A small desk with a candle on top was placed near the window, which was currently covered by a thick, purple curtain. Her wooden bed held enough room for two people and was equipped with purple satin sheets and fluffy pillows. The mattress was soft and very comfortable. Four pillars of dark wood stretched up towards the roof by the corners of her bed. Attached to them was a soft, finely-netted curtain she hadn't bothered to undo just yet.

Across the stony floor laid a white, fluffy rug. The fur-like strands of fabric had tickled her bare feet when she had headed towards the bed after a quick visit to the bathroom further down the hall. A large painting of a woman riding a horse in the middle of a forest hung over the fireplace, rimmed with a golden frame. It was beautiful to look at and made the whole room feel more at home than the small cabin she and Zoro had previously inhabited.

All in all, she almost felt like a spoiled princess as she laid comfortably in the large bed.

Her mind went to Zoro again. Was his room as nice as hers?

The door to her room suddenly opened and she bolted upright while grasping onto a kunai she had hidden beneath her pillow. Squinting her eyes in hope to see better in the dimly lit room, she saw a largely built form step into her quarters.

"Damnit!" the person cursed before they turned to leave the room again.

"Zoro?" Surprise didn't even cover half the shock she felt. "Are you okay?"

She scrambled out of bed, leaving the kunai behind and slowly made her way towards him.

"Sakura," he muttered and glanced at the door.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned quietly as she took in his form. He had left the cloak and the haramaki, along with his swords behind, she noted. "What's wrong?" she asked while tilting her head to get a closer look of his face.

"I didn't mean to come here," he grumbled with his eyes still locked on the door.

She gave him a confused look which soon dawned into understanding. "You got lost." It was a statement rather than a question, and the look he sent her confirmed she was right.

"I didn't get lost." he growled. "Every door looks the same out there."

A smile made its way onto her face and she giggled quietly.

"It's not funny, witch!" he huffed in annoyance but found it difficult to supress the smirk that threatened to erupt on his lips when she so clearly enjoyed his lack of direction.

She took a calming breath and waved her hand dismissively, the smile still etched onto her features.

"I was just thinking of you." she said softly.

Quirking an eyebrow in curiosity, he eyed her. "Oh?" She had his full attention now.

"Yeah," A dark blush spread over her cheeks when she realized what she had said. "N-no, I mean… I didn't mean it like that!" she cried and threw her hands up to her face to cool down her burning cheeks.

He smirked and stepped closer to her smaller frame. She looked absolutely adorable at that moment with her flushed cheeks, tank top and shorts, and he couldn't help but get drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

Taking a strand of her hair in between his fingers, he twirled it lazily around his digit.

"What were you thinking about me, Sakura?" he asked and let the tips of his fingers brush lightly over her temple.

She moved one hand to rest it against his arm. Her eyes fluttered closed as a shiver ran up and down her spine when he lightly traced the curve of her cheek, sliding his fingers slowly further and further down. Biting down on her lip to prevent herself from uttering anything else, she then felt his thumb slide over the corner of her mouth, gently tugging the bitten piece of flesh free from the assault of her teeth.

Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and she was sure he could hear it from the short distance between them.

"I was thinking that I need to give you a check-up." she said hazily with her eyes still closed.

He stepped closer to her and she breathed in his unique scent.

"What sort of check-up did you have in mind?" he asked quietly while his eyes roamed her face. She was truly a beauty.

"…not the sort you're insinuating." she needed to stay away from him. She had promised herself to do so.

Her eyes slowly opened, revealing a dark yet clear green shade of her eyes. He could stare into those deep, emotional eyes forever. They were too damn captivating.

"I was not insinuating anything, Sakura." his lips hovered inches away from hers and he felt her breaths fanning over his lips like feather light strokes.

His headache had subsided remarkably since the moment he stepped into her room. Why? He didn't know, and at the moment he couldn't care any less.

"What you said to Chopper earlier was very rude." she needed to change the subject, and while her mind was distracted by the mere presence of the swordsman, she found herself unable to form any real thoughts.

Zoro's eyebrow twitched in annoyance by the mentioning of the reindeer's name. "I know," he stated coolly.

"You really scared him, Zoro." her voice had taken on a more serious tone, so he pulled away from her, making her hand fall from where it had rested against his arm.

"Do you honestly want to take this now?" he asked aggravatingly.

"I want to know what's bothering you."

He didn't know what was bothering him, aside from the fact he had no memory of anything.

"Just forget it," he told her and backed away. He wasn't in the mood to deal with this.

"Please, just talk to me," she requested meekly.

His hands flew to her wrists and in a blink of an eye, he had her pinned to the wall.

"Just let it go. Please."

He released her after that and headed towards the door.

"Goodnight, Sakura."

Her bedroom door closed with a soft click, leaving her alone in the room. She leaned the back of her head onto the wall and cursed herself for being too pushy. He hadn't been rough when pinning her to the wall and she knew it had been more of a warning than anything else. Sighing heavily, she glanced over at her bed. She should really try to get some sleep.

Her bedroom door opened again, revealing the green-haired swordsman.

Sakura smiled, her eyes glinting in amusement. "Did you get lost again?"

He stepped into her room and pushed the door closed behind him by lightly nudging it with his foot.

"No," standing before her, he hanged his head in shame. "I'm sorry for acting jealous."

Her eyes widened in surprise. He was jealous?

"…and I'm sorry for taking it out on that stupid tanuki."

"You were jealous?" she had to make sure she had heard him right.

"…yes."

"Why?"

He glanced up at her by then. Surely she should have been aware of the reason why. "It doesn't matter."

She nodded at that and let her fingers brush over the back of his hands, a gesture of forgiveness he supposed. "Anything else?"

He sighed. "I have had a headache since we were riding the sleigh. It stopped once I entered your room, but returned the moment I left."

"Mind if I take a look?" she asked and watched him shake his head no.

Grabbing his hand, she lead him across the room towards the desk and motioned for him to sit down on the chair by it. "Does it hurt on the bruised side or is it a regular headache?" she questioned and ran her fingers through his hair.

His eyes closed as a tingly sensation started spreading through his skull by her soft caress. "The bruised side."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she questioned and tilted his head to the side to get a better view of the cut. She was sure she had healed it properly with her chakra. Had the blood-vessels opened up again or had she missed something?

"I don't know." he mumbled and opened his eyes again to peer around the room. "Pride? Your room is much nicer than mine."

Sakura smiled at that. "Perhaps you would have gotten a _nice_ room as well if you hadn't insulted those two earlier." she teased.

"Tch! They deserved it."

She pulled at a few strands and heard him hiss in pain. "I'm not into animals, Zoro."

"I never said you were."

"Yet you got jealous because I showed affection towards the reindeer."

"That's not…" he trailed off and closed his eyes again when a sudden coolness penetrated his skull. The pounding in his head slowly subsided and he relaxed visibly under her touch.

Sakura eyed him warily. She was once again breaking the rules she had set up for herself by healing him with her chakra. She really needed to stop. '_Tomorrow,'_ she promised herself. '_Today will be the last.'_

She retracted her hands from his head and took a small step back. "Better?"

"Much. What did you do?" he asked as he peered up at her.

"Just something I learned a while back." she offered.

He knew he wouldn't get much more out of her, so he stood up, hovering slightly over her.

"I guess I should head back to my shitty room,"

"Yes," she agreed and stepped closer to him. She didn't want him to leave.

"That old hag will surely be pissed if she finds out I stayed the night." he stated and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

'_Don't do it,'_ an inner voice warned the pinkette. "We wouldn't want that," she whispered and bit down on her lip while her eyes were locked on his.

His thumb caressed the curve of her lips, gently tugging her lip free.

"No," he agreed and leaned down to capture her lips with his.

The kiss was soft and slow. The bickering from before, long forgotten. Closing her eyes, she let her hands wander up over his chest. She needed him.

He pulled away slowly and gently caressed her cheek. Her skin felt hot beneath his touch. Hot, soft and silky smooth. She tilted her head to the side with her eyes still closed when he tenderly cupped her face. Her pink tresses fell to the side, exposing her cream-colored neck in the process. Licking his lips, he leaned in closer while his other hand slowly slid up her arm. His nose brushed against her jawline when he closed the distance between them again. The unique mixture of citrus, jasmine, amber and vanilla filled his lungs as he breathed in her scent, the rare essence lingering and teasing his senses. One hand grasped around her soft curls and he pressed his lips against her neck, fingers twirling her pastel-colored locks around them and tugging gently to uncover more of her neck. His tongue darted out to lick on a soft-spot right behind her ear before he nibbled on that same area, earning a sensual moan from the pinkette. Smirking into her flesh, he started sucking on that same spot and felt her hand loosen from where it had been resting against his chest, only to start to roam his bigger frame.

Her hands went down to the hem of his dark-grey shirt and lifted the soft fabric slightly. Sliding her hands underneath his top, she could feel his muscles rip beneath her fingertips. Her fingers traced his lower abdomen, grazing his toned muscles with a feather-light touch which also earned her a sharp intake of air from the green-haired swordsman. Small hands moved further up his toned chest while he continued his ministries against her neck. Nibbling had turned to kissing and he had moved from her neck to her jawline again. Emerald eyes opened slightly to gaze at their lover. And as he teasingly and slowly kissed a path from her neck to her lips, she sighed contently and wrapped an arm around his waist to pull him closer while tilting her head to capture his lips with her own.

She felt him smile into the kiss, the sides of his lips quirking upward at her bold move.

"Getting impatient, are we?" he questioned playfully, his breath fanning over her lips as he opened his eyes to look at the woman before him. Her normally pale cheeks were flushed; from heat or embarrassment he didn't know. His thumb brushed against her bottom lip which she had seductively captured in between her teeth once more, and he instinctively leaned in to taste them again, to claim them and to claim her.

Hooking her fingers under the waistband of his trousers, she pulled him with her as she backed away toward the bed. The cool wood pressed against the back of her legs when she finally reached her destination and before she had time to reflect on what was happening he was lowering her onto the mattress with his lips still attached to hers.

Seating himself in between her legs, he pulled his shirt off in one swift movement and tossed it onto the floor before leaning down to rest his forehead against hers. She smiled slyly as she gazed into his eyes, her emerald orbs full of emotion. She raked her nails softly over his naked back, earning a hiss from the male while his eyes fluttered closed. Slick fingers trailed further up his toned back, toward his neck and up to his hair where they slid through his green tuft in a loving manner. Her right hand traveled down his cheek where she brushed her thumb over his brow and cheek before she leaned up to kiss him on the lips. The hand glided toward his ear where she carefully ran her fingers over his three golden earrings, causing them to play a short jingle in the process.

Flipping them over, she ended up straddling his lap. One leg rested on each side of his hips and she traced the long scar on his chest with careful fingers. His eyes were locked on her face, dark eyes searching hers for some sort of clue. It bothered him that he couldn't remember. All he really knew was her and even though he loved being there with her, he couldn't help the nagging feeling that was constantly making itself known in the back of his head. There was more to him. There had to be more to him. Fragments of distant memories were constantly seeping into his consciousness. He just didn't have the ability nor knowledge to sort them out - to place them correctly.

"Zoro..?" her voice was full of concern.

Flicking his gaze to her eyes, he couldn't resist the small smile that plastered itself on his lips. She was still running her delicate hands over his chest and he loved how hot she made him feel by simply being her.

She scooted back onto his thighs as he sat up, and felt his hands snake around her waist to keep her from moving further away. A light push against her lower back brought her closer to his toned chest and she wrapped her arms around his neck - fingers playing with the short hair at the nape of his neck. His lips brushed against hers again. His tongue ran along her bottom lip before he coaxed them open to taste her.

A soft moan escaped the pinkette's lips and she instinctively ground herself against him, causing another hiss to escape the swordsman's lips. Smirking into the kiss, she ground into him again, her sex rubbing slowly against his hardening groin.

One of his hands glided from her back, down her side and up her front as she continued grinding into him. Said hand lifted her top off and she broke away from the kiss long enough for him to discard the clothing, exposing the pair of soft mounds hidden beneath. Her teeth bit down on his bottom lip, playfully pulling at the slightly swollen flesh before she gently sucked it into her mouth. One of her hands left his hair and rested against his shoulder where she massaged his tense muscles. A deep moan sounded from deep down his throat and he grabbed a hold of her thighs, rose onto his knees and laid her back down on the bed. Placing himself in between her legs again, he lowered his head down toward her flat stomach. His lips met her warm skin and he started kissing his way up her milky white abdomen - up toward her chest.

Sliding a hand up to the two mounds of flesh with their rosy peaks he took one of them into his large hand; kneading the wondrous flesh while she squirmed beneath him. Anticipation rose within her with every new kiss he left on her humid skin. A flick of his tongue against the other rosy peak earned him a breathy moan and he smirked as he gazed up at his lover's face through his dark eyelashes before grazing the pearl of her chest with his teeth.

She arched her back as she laid beneath him, craving more of his touch and his exploration of her skin. A sharp intake of air left Sakura's lips as she felt him start to suck on her breast; the hardened nipple getting assaulted inside of his mouth as he held it in between his teeth and flickered the tip of his tongue over it. The other breast was not left forgotten and while he repeated the action on it she mewled underneath him - nails digging into his shoulders while she writhed under his toned body.

Satisfied with his work, he left a trail of heated kisses up her chest and throat, which he had seemed to taken an extra liking to, and covered her lips with his. The pinkette hooked her legs around his narrow waist and gave a soft yet sturdy push to his clothed ass; making him grind his sex against her clothed one. She could feel him through the fabric; pressing against her waiting frame, and when he sensually rubbed his crotch against hers, she let out a moan which had the swordsman chuckling into her mouth.

"You liked that?" he questioned mischievously and repeated his previous action, a playful yet proud glint evident in his eyes.

Too caught up in the pleasure he was causing her she simply nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him closer to her body. His lips crashed against hers in a mind-blowing kiss and she felt him shift in between her legs. The rustling of fabric reached her ears and her feet -still wrapped around his hips, rested comfortably on his now naked behind. His fingers hooked into the waistband of her shorts and he yanked them down along with her underwear. The pink haired woman gazed up at her lover and she unhooked her legs from his waist to allow him to pull her undergarments off completely. The sight she was met with made her insides melt. Before her sat said swordsman, green hair tousled, shirt and pants discarded and forgotten on the floor while the flickering light from the fireplace danced over his naked form; casting him in an ethereal glow.

"God, you're beautiful." she stated and rose onto her elbows. Her eyes roamed his naked form, memorizing every little detail on her swordsman's figure. Everything from his moss-colored hair to his highly-arched eyebrows, dark eyes and pointy nose. From his pink lips to his squared chin. His broad shoulders, toned chest and abdomen with the scar that ran diagonally down his front where it ended near his right hipbone. Glancing to her right she found herself blushing as she realized he was completely naked and a certain manly part of him was standing tall and proud all because of her.

Zoro's hands were around her bare ankles, holding them firmly in his calloused hands. He tugged at her legs in an attempt to bring her closer and grinned when a surprised gasp left her lips. He had amusedly watched her while she ogled him and the blush that tinted her cheeks when she had realized he was completely nude had him smirking.

"You know, it's not nice to stare," he marveled as he hovered over her.

Green eyes shot to his and her blush deepened. "I wasn't…"

Soft lips met hers before she had time to finish her sentence and she moaned quietly as she felt his hardened member poke the inside of her thigh.

"I believe you were." He murmured elatedly while positioning himself at her entrance. Kissing her one final time, he then rested his forehead against hers, dark eyes gazing into the emerald green ones of his lover's and with one slow push he slid into her.

Emerald orbs widened a fraction before fluttering closed as he invaded her womanly cave. A pleasure-filled moan left her parted lips and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips. Inch by inch he entered her until he filled her up completely. Her inner walls pulsed slightly around his length while she accumulated to his size. He pulled out painstakingly slow before pushing himself into her core again, his length throbbing delightfully in the depths of her warm folds.

Her breasts pressed against his chest when she arched her back and he lowered his mouth to nibble on her neck. Her breath ghosted over his ear and her raw moans of pure pleasure had him joining the pink haired woman with one of his own. Plunging into her more forcefully he hissed as she dug her fingers into his shoulders and she started raising her hips to meet his thrusts. He took a hold of her left leg and shifted so he was on his knees before taking a hold of her right leg as well with his free hand, bringing her feet up to rest against his shoulders.

"What are you..-"

He entered her again, thrusting deeper into her womb and placed a sloppy kiss on her right ankle.

"Holy.." she moaned loudly as she felt his member hit that special spot which had her toes curl in pleasure. "Don't.. stop.." she breathed and fisted the sheets into her hands as the beginning of her orgasm sprung to life deep within her belly.

He slid one hand down the length of her leg and down to her sensitive bundle of nerves which he started rubbing in circles with his thumb.

"Zoro!" she jerked under his touch, emerald eyes glazing over by the enormous amount of pleasure he was giving her. She brought one hand to her breasts and fondled them; pinching her nipples and rolling them in between her index-finger and thumb.

"Fuck." he groaned and removed his thumb from her bundle of nerves before digging his fingers into her thighs while picking up his pace. The sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the small room when he claimed her as his; his full length piercing her inner walls again and again. Her hand slid down her naked body and replaced the spot in between her legs he'd been touching moments earlier. Slick fingers went in fast circles over her sensitive clitoris while he continued pounding into her.

A sudden wave of white-hot pleasure came over her and his name left her lips in a loud moan. The grip on her thighs hardened as he slammed into her again and buried his length to the hilt in her warm vulva and she felt his member twitch within her as he too came undone, spilling his seed in her cave.

He collapsed halfway on top of her, sweat glistening on his naked frame in the warm light of the fireplace. She let her fingers dance lazily over his back and placed a loving kiss on his shoulder. Her eyes felt heavy so she closed them and felt the swordsman roll off of her only to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her closer to his chest. He left a chaste kiss on her forehead before nuzzling his face in her hair.

"Thank you," she mumbled.

"For what?"

"For letting me in."

He stayed quiet for a moment, contemplating her words. "Tch, it's not like I had a choice."

He felt her smile into his chest. "Idiot,"

Smirking into her hair, he gave her his usual reply. "Witch."

* * *

**A/N: **Another chapter done and uploaded.  
I don't feel comfortable writing fighting scenes, so I took the easy way out and skipped it where Nami got chased by the Vice Captain. I also find writing dialogues extremely difficult. I don't speak unless spoken to irl (social phobia), so I struggle a lot with the interactions between the characters mainly because of that. I don't know if it shows or not, but now you know.  
A lot of you have asked me when Sakura's going to meet the Strawhat Pirates. I feel as if I'm giving spoilers, but the next chapter will be "it", so stay tuned and don't forget to review. I can't stress enough how important it is to get feedback, at least for me.


	7. 07 - The Arrival

**Chapter 7**  
**The Arrival  
**(The Attic feat. Therese)

* * *

Zoro shuddered as he stepped out into the brisk afternoon air. He had taken a stroll throughout the castle. What was expected to be a short walk to the dining room for some food had soon turned into an hour long sprint through various rooms and narrow corridors.

He had not gotten lost. Not at all. The castle was most certainly messing with him by changing places of the rooms as he went. He was sure the walls held some sort of mechanical function that allowed someone to move them as they pleased. Come to think of it, he had not seen Sakura at all that day. She and the old hag must have been the ones behind the scheme -probably to teach him a lesson in _how-to-behave-nicely_.

Growling in frustration, he peered up at the grey sky. Snow had stopped falling from the shadow-colored clouds for a change. He could not understand how people could stand to live on a secluded island made of nothing but snow. _He_ preferred the sun over this cold climate, as evident on his tanned body, and he highly doubted the natives of the island had the privilege to experience its warmth for more than a couple of days each year. He lowered his gaze, glancing out over the frosty landscape. The snow glittered where it lay as a blanket over the island, shielding whatever greens with it's crystallized, ivory veil. The view was breathtaking. It really was, albeit a tad too monochrome for his taste. The ocean however, looked very inviting with its blue-green depths and waves that came crashing violently against the shore, where it split into tiny drops of sparkling rain. The ocean. The ocean seemed like home, like that was where he belonged. If the wanted poster was right and he really was a pirate hunter, he supposed the ocean was his home in a way. Pirates roamed the seas after all, so it would only be natural for him to do the same in search of them.

Deciding to head back into the warmth of the castle, he quickly turned on his heel and heard a click coming from the door. A soft breeze flew past him after that, chilling him further. Grabbing the handle, he rattled it in an attempt to get the door to open, but it didn't budge.

Cursing under his breath, he glared at the door while snaking a hand down towards his swords only to find the sash empty.

"Fuck," he had left them in his room earlier. '_I guess carrying them around could be useful.'_

He looked to his left with a sigh, wrapped his arms around his front for some warmth and started walking through the snow, intent to find the main entrance. Someone was definitely messing with him.

* * *

Sakura put another thick medical volume down onto the desk in front of her and pinched the bridge of her nose in hope to relieve some stress from her tired eyes. She was currently seated in the library, Dr. Kureha's library, where endless amounts of books on different viruses, symptoms, sicknesses and other life threatening conditions stretched across the walls in five humongous, mahogany bookshelves. She had been questioned on her abilities so far and had demonstrated her skills on one of the many people whom had piled into the castle during the break of dawn. Checking the patient's wounds for poison without the use of chakra had been difficult but not impossible. She had gone back to basics and had started off with a blood sample, but since she didn't know what she was working with, she hadn't been able to relieve the man's pain in case the poison would react to whatever substance she had to offer.

She had also learned Dr. Kureha was quite the sadist, who clearly enjoying seeing others in pain, and she would often prod their hurting bodies with a sinister laugh and an insult when they cried out in pain. Why she had assigned the most sick-looking person to Sakura was a mystery to her, but she assumed it was to see how well the medic coped in tricky and stressful situations. Somehow she reminded Sakura of her sensei. Tsunade had often scolded Sakura for being too soft, and during their sparring sessions the elderly had gone all out even though the gap in their abilities were clearer than the sky on a cloudless day.

Sighing in frustration, Sakura rose from her seat and headed to the window. Glancing out over the frosty landscape, she leaned her hands onto the windowsill for support. She could see the ocean from there. It was still and calming, stretching all the way to the horizon and beyond. Someplace far away from there was her home. She missed it -missed the warmth and her friends. '_Naruto, are you back home yet?'_ A wave of sadness flickered through her body and she let her gaze drop to the ground beneath her. He was on a journey to get stronger. He would be back when he was done. And so would she.

Taking a deep breath, the kunoichi exhaled loudly. It was time to check on the tests. They should be done by now. She walked swiftly through the pile of books laying on the floor which she had used for research and headed towards the large, wooden doors and stepped into the cool corridor. She headed to her right, passing another set of doors before turning to walk up a spirally staircase made of stone.

A smaller door appeared at the top of the staircase. Sakura pushed it open and stepped into another narrow corridor with a large window adorning the longest wall. Two pillars were breaking the window up into three smaller ones and she took a moment to gaze out at the landscape before her again. She was facing the front of the castle, she realized, and had a good view of the path Zoro and she had traveled on during the night. A smile passed over her lips at the thought of the swordsman and she lifted her hand to push a strand of hair behind her ear. Once she was done with the cure for the poison she would have to ask Dr. Kureha about his amnesia. There had to be _something_ she could do to quicken his rehabilitation. Nodding to herself, she turned again and continued through the corridor.

With a white lab-coat on, Sakura worked on the blood samples she had gathered from the poisoned male earlier. She had ran numerous of tests, trying to figure out what sort of poison it was and how to counteract it. Beads of sweat were forming on her forehead as she stood hunched over the sterile table with her eyes peeking into a microscope to get a better view on how her antidote separated the poison from the blood without leaving any trace of it. She had finally done it.

With a triumphant smile, the medic gave away a soft sigh before snatching the antidote into her hand and rushed out of the lab. Dr. Kureha would be pleased, she was sure.

* * *

Zoro was seated on the floor in the corner of the dining room with the bottle of sake he had picked up the day before. The room was filled with people. Some eating away their sorrows, others eating in happiness, celebrating their treated loved ones. The loud murmuring of the guests filled the large room and he debated on leaving just to get some quiet time until a certain pink-haired woman entered through the large doors.

He lowered the bottle from his lips and stared at her, mesmerized by the way she carried herself throughout the room as she was heading towards the kitchen door. The murmurs died down around him, and he could clearly hear his own heart beating from inside of his chest. She looked absolutely gorgeous with her hair tied up in a high ponytail and the regular slacks she had been wearing since he had woken up in the cabin. Even though they did nothing to accentuate her curves, he still thought they looked good on her, and the fact that they were easy to just tug off only made them more appealing.

One of the guests, a woman, sprung from her seat and embraced the medic with tears in her eyes. He couldn't make out what she was saying to the pinkette, but judging by the tears and the never faltering smile, she seemed to be praising her. Sakura looked a bit bothered, her gaze flickered back and forth between the mass of people gathered in the room and the woman before her until her gaze suddenly landed on him. She offered him a shy smile which he responded to with a smirk. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks and then her gaze flickered back to the woman. Sakura nodded politely to the female, received another hug and a kiss on the cheek before the woman went back to her seat.

He took another sip of his sake and watched as she strode across the floor to where he was sitting.

"Hey," she crouched down in front of him.

"Hey." he smirked again.

She bit her lip nervously and looked over her shoulder before turning towards him again. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Depends."

"On?" she inquired with a raised brow.

"Are you offering dessert?"

She gasped at that, her eyes widening when understanding what he was implying. '_Oh, he so wants you.'_ Her inner self cooed seductively. Two could play that game. Smirking back at him, she tilted her head to the side innocently while seeing his gaze flicker towards her bared neck from the corner of her eye. "Maybe later." She bit her lip again, drawing his focus to them.

It was his turn to raise a brow, his eyes a shade or two darker than usual. "Just maybe?"

"I have something I need to discuss with Kureha first." she stated with another smirk evident on her lips before she placed her hands on his knees in order to keep her balance. The action sent a pleasurable jolt of electricity through his system. "It might take some time."

He nodded once in understanding while ignoring the effect she had on his body and peered over her shoulder as one small group of people finally left the room. She watched him for a moment, obviously wanting to ask him something, so he waited.

"Have you… remembered anything else today?" somehow it felt wrong of her to ask. Prying into other people's lives for personal gain wasn't something Sakura often did. That was more like something her best friend Ino would do. But then again, as his doctor she supposed she had the right to know -or the right to ask at least.

His dark eyes went back to hers and he regarded her for a moment while trying his best to ignore the burning sensation she was causing him by brushing her thumbs lazily over his knees. She had no idea what she was doing to him. He was sure of that. Before he had the time to reply, another voice broke through the never ending murmurs of the dining room.

"Sakura!" the voice was cold and disapproving and he immediately knew who it belonged to.

Sakura fell back in surprise and landed on her butt while snapping her head in the direction of the voice. "Hai!"

"Come." Dr. Kureha left the room as quickly as she had entered.

Sakura rose to her feet and shot the swordsman an apologetic look. "We'll continue this later."

Smirking once again, Zoro gave her a knowing look which made the ninja blush once more. "I'll hold you to it, Sa-ku-ra."

She hurried out of the room after that with a smile playing on her lips, leaving one frustrated swordsman to himself and his thoughts. He took another sip of his sake and glared at the now closed door. There was something special with that woman, yet he could not pinpoint exactly what it was. Shaking his head to get rid of any more disturbing thoughts, he reached out for his swords and stood up. Perhaps he should eat something before heading back to his room. He was quite hungry after all. Deciding to follow his stomach, he went toward the stack of plates in between a small table containing the dinner the castle served for the day, and the door leading to the kitchen. After filling his plate with food he took a seat at the far away corner and dug in.

* * *

Sakura followed the doctor through the many corridors inside of the castle. The elderly lead her to an unoccupied room with a small sofa and a desk with some papers scattered on the surface. The flames of four candles were the only light source in the room apart from the evening sun shining through the window.

"Kureha-sama," Sakura began once the door was closed. "I have some questions."

The woman turned to face the medic with a stern look on her face. "I'm not going to give you the answers to treat the poison, Sakura. That's all on you." the doctor replied and sat down by the desk. She opened a wooden cabinet door of the desk and brought out a bottle of plum sake and unscrewed the cork of it before taking a long sip of the sweet liquor.

"It's not about the poison. I already healed the man."

"Oh?" setting the bottle down onto the table, the doctor turned to face the medic. "Did you figure out what it was?"

Sakura fidgeted nervously with her fingers. "This might sound crazy, but as I was analyzing his blood for traces of poison, I managed to extract some of it. Through the microscope I could clearly see how it attacked the still intact blood cells, and where synthetic poisons affect the blood in one way, this one differed from it, so I did some research."

"Did Chopper show you the library?" the doctor questioned.

"Yes, your library is like heaven for any medic. Thank you so much for letting me use it while I'm here."

Kureha nodded once. "What happened after that?"

"Oh, right!" Sakura shifted from one foot to another. "I went through some of the volumes in the library, looking for any kind of clue and… this is where the crazy part begins." Sakura grimaced. "The man was poisoned by a rabbit. I mean, how is that even possible? Rabbits don't attack people. Rabbits are tiny, cuddly fuzzballs who screw each other more often than not."

The doctor snickered before sending another disapproving glare in Sakura's direction. "Yes, that sounds like the perfect description of two of my guests."

Sakura paled. '_She knows…'_

"What sort of rabbit was it?"

"A Lepr-lepa-lepe.. Lapahn, was it? Either way, the book had the antidote, so I made it but altered it a bit."

"I see," the doctor's eyes narrowed a fraction. "How did you alter _my_ antidote?"

Sakura bit her lip nervously. She hadn't meant to offend the lady. "I just added something to relieve his pain." she answered meekly and looked down at her feet.

Kureha took another swig of sake and let her gaze travel out the window for a moment. The young medic Tsunade had sent her way was something special. She had no problem working by herself. She had not asked for Kureha's guidance and had clearly solved the problem she had been faced with. Sakura was skilled, no doubt about that.

"Very well. You did well today, Sakura. You remind me a lot of Tsunade as I knew her back then." the doctor smiled while staring out the window with a distant look in her eyes. Turning to face Sakura, she went on. "She used to alter my antidotes as well and always pointed out their weak points. I presume you have inherited that from your sensei, and where that might come in handy for _you_, it is still annoying. Do not do it again."

A blush crept over Sakura's cheeks while she bowed her head in pride-filled shame. "Hai,"

"That was all." the doctor said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Sakura turned to leave but stopped once she reached the door. "I still have some questions." she stated quietly and turned to face the doctor again.

Dr. Kureha raised a slender brow. "Yes?"

Sakura looked down at her feet indecisively. "It's about Zoro."

"The swordsman?"

"Yes."

"I'm not one to give advice on relationships, Sakura. Especially not one I don't approve of." the doctor stated coolly.

Sakura flinched. They were not in a relationship, were they? No, it was more of a sharing beds and exploring each other type of thing. Besides, there was nothing but lust involved in between them anyway. Sakura shook it off and raised her head, looking the elderly woman straight in the eye. "What do you know about amnesia?"

"Amnesia?"

"What can I do help him remember?"

The doctor took another swig of her sake and looked up at the ceiling, obviously thinking it over. "You can't do anything, Sakura. The brain is a complicated part of ourselves. It has a life of its own." she finally stated.

"There must be some way to-" she was cut off by the older woman.

"The brain is the most subtle and mysterious part of the human body. It throws up a defense when threatened and once that wall is up, there's not much left for us to do but to wait." the head of the bottle reached the elderly womans lips once again.

"What if we don't have the time to wait?" the pinkette asked.

The doctor raised a brow and let the bottle of sake rest against the surface of the desk once more. "You can not rush rehabilitation, Sakura. You should know this."

Sakura was getting impatient, frustrated even. While she enjoyed the person Zoro was right now, he was still just a shell of his older self.

"Although," the doctor began in a thoughtful way and let her eyes focus on something outside of the window. "Trigger objects might help speed up the process, but I'm assuming you met him on the island and don't know much about his past."

The pinkette's shoulders slumped and she let out a hopeless sigh. Dr. Kureha was right. There was nothing she could do after all. "Thanks anyway." she mumbled in a defeated tone and reached for the door-handle.

"So you'll need to ask someone who used to know him."

Sakura looked at the elderly over her shoulder. "That's easier said than done. I don't even know where to begin." Was she mocking her?

The corner of the doctor's lips twitched upwards in another of the woman's sadistic smirks. "Try the Strawhats."

A brow rose on the pinkette. "I doubt I'd look good in those." she muttered sourly. She was definitely being mocked.

"Shishishishishi. They'll be here soon. You'll get your answers then."

"…okay."

Sakura left the small room with a puzzled look on her face. Dr. Kureha was old, probably older than her sensei, and clearly suffering from some age-related diagnosis like dementia or something similar. '_Straw hats? Why is everyone on this island so caught up with straw hats?'_ she thought to herself and headed down the dimly lit hall before entering another corridor which would eventually take her to a set of stairs which would lead her to her floor.

The sounds of her footsteps echoed through the stone-clad walls and she was soon lost in her own thoughts on how to reduce the time it would take for Zoro to regain his memories.

'_What might trigger Zoro's memories?'_ she asked herself while walking up the first set of stairs. '_How do I find out what methods to use? What if his mind reacted this way to block out something terrible? Do I still push him to remember? Will his mind break down further if he finds out the truth?' _

She stopped dead in her tracks and stared straight ahead. This hallway was darker than the one she had previously been in since there weren't any windows to brighten this path, but even so, she thought she could make out a figure a bit ahead of her. They were walking soundlessly in a steady pace straight towards her.

Sakura snaked a hand down to the medical pouch she always wore around her hips and flipped the lid open. Warm fingers traced the outline of the cold steel of her kunai, and she gripped it quickly while leaning up against the wall. She wasn't sure why, but whoever was coming her direction had a dangerous and frustrated aura around themselves. She steadied her breathing and calmed her nerves while the person came closer and closer.

They stopped.

"Who's there?" their deep baritone voice demanded and Sakura immediately let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"It's just me," she stated and pocketed her kunai. "You scared me."

"Is that so?" she knew he was wearing that cocky and sexy smirk of his even though she couldn't see him.

She met him halfway and when he came to stand before her she instinctively reached for him, warm fingers trailing up and down his chest. She had barely seen him at all this day, and the conversation they had earlier had ignited a need for him that she knew wouldn't go away until she was satisfied.

She slid one hand up to his shoulder and got up on her tiptoes while he leaned down to meet her halfway in a sensual kiss. Slender fingers played with the hair at the back of his skull and he found himself unable to resist her unspoken need for him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, enjoying how her body seemed molded to fit perfectly in his arms.

The tip of her tongue ran across his lips and he allowed her entrance, immediately meeting her tongue with his and inviting it to a sensual dance in the cavern of his mouth. He tasted of sake, but not in an overwhelming way. She moaned and felt the cool stonewall press into her back when he suddenly picked her up and used the wall for support. The hilts of his swords clattered as they collided with the wall and he growled irritably. Nothing was going his way today. While holding her up with one hand, he used the other one to slide his swords out of his sash while she clung to his shoulders and deepened the kiss. Once the last sword was leaning casually against the wall, her legs wrapped themselves around his waist and she clearly felt his need for her through the fabric of their clothes as it bulged out prominently in between her spread legs. Warmth was quickly spreading through her lower region and she mewled into his mouth when he hooked his hands under her backside to keep her in place.

He thrust himself against her and took advantage of her exposed neck the second she threw her head back while a throaty moan left her lips. Her fingers raked through his short, green hair, lightly tugging at the strands while another moan escaped her lips as he bit down on the tender skin right above her pulse, probably to leave a hickey that would clearly mark her as his.

Her moans echoed through the dark corridor and he knew there was a risk of getting caught if she kept voicing how he made her feel, but he couldn't stop. He didn't want to stop.

The tips of his fingers hooked themselves in the waistline of her pants and he quickly tugged them down over her ass. However, since her legs were wrapped around his waist, they didn't go very far.

He let out a frustrated growl and let her slide back down onto the floor before turning her around to face the wall. Calloused fingers tugged her pants down her thighs and she felt herself getting wetter by the second as he slowly caressed the outside of her thighs on the way up again. She stifled a moan by biting down on her lip when he lightly slid a finger in between her folds and heard him hum in satisfaction at how well worked up she was.

The rustling of fabric reached her ears next and when he grasped onto her hips once more and placed one hand over the curve of her back, she gracefully bent over and placed her hands against the wall to keep her balance.

Zoro wasted no more time and thrust himself fully into her with a deep, pleasure-filled groan. A shiver trailed up and down his spine at the lovely sound she made as he filled her up to the brim, and he waited a moment before beginning to move once more. Pulling out of her almost completely, he then thrust himself into her again and felt her legs tremble slightly from pleasure. Repeating the same action a third time, he used a hand to grasp onto her ponytail and gently forced her head back while he hovered over her and was about to place a kiss on her lips when voices suddenly reached them.

He froze, hand still gripping her hair while she slowly moved her hips back to slide him further into her cave with a soft moan escaping her lips.

"Sakura," he said quietly and stilled her hips with his hand and let go of her hair.

"Hm?"

"Someone's coming."

Her eyes widened at that, yet he couldn't see it in the dark, and she quickly slipped out of his grasp.

"What? Where?" she hissed and quickly tugged her pants up to cover her bare behind.

Zoro tucked his private parts back into his own pants as well and reached for his swords and swiftly positioned them in the green sash around his waist. Today was not his day and he was getting more and more frustrated by the minute.

"They're coming up the stairs," he stated quietly and felt her hand brush against his arm when she turned to face the direction he had come from.

Sakura snaked her hand down to the medical pouch again and was about to bring her kunai out when she too heard voices echoing throughout the narrow corridor. She could make out three voices; two males and one female.

"…it was so cool!" one of the males exclaimed cheerfully.

"Yet that shitty swordsman was nowhere to be found. He probably left the island anyway." a grumpier voice retorted before the female chimed in.

"But they _had_ seen him. The barmaid said so after all."

"That idiot probably died out in the snow. That shitty swordsman gets lost all the time anyway." the grumpy voice stated again.

"We will not leave this island before we find Zoro." the previously cheerful voice said in an authoritative tone. "And we will find him."

Sakura glanced at Zoro through the darkness. She couldn't make out his expression, but his murderous aura gave him away. She knew who the trio was and suspected he did as well.

"Stay," he ordered and left her side, striding throughout the corridor.

"No." she stated firmly and ran up behind him and grabbed a hold of his arm to stop him from going further.

He stilled and turned to glare at her.

"Sakura," he began in an annoyed tone.

She flinched.

"This is between me and them," he growled irritably. "Let go of my arm."

"No," she stated again and felt the cool wall press against her back once more as he had her pinned against it.

The flickering flame of a candle suddenly cast the narrow corridor in a soft sheen of light.

"Oh, there he is. Oi! Zoro!" the cheerful voice of Luffy bounced through the stony walls while he waved with both his hands.

"What are you doing to my sweet macaron, teme?!" Sanji suddenly growled and leapt through the corridor and raised a foot to kick Zoro in the face.

Sakura stared in horrified fascination at the blonde. '_Huh? Macaron?' _

Zoro unsheathed two swords and blocked the oncoming attack with his blades. "You wanna get cut, curly brows?!"

"As if you'd succeed, shitty marimo!" the blonde taunted and spun around with another kick, this time aimed at Zoro's midsection.

"Tch!" the swordsman blocked the kick with his blades again before striking at the blonde with a swift swing of his wrist.

Sanji leapt into the air, gracefully avoiding Zoro's attack, and stretched both legs out to descent in a swirly mess of kicks which the swordsman once again blocked with ease.

"Knock it out, you two!" the redhead growled angrily and grabbed a hold of Sanji's collar before she tugged him away from the fuming Zoro. She glared at Zoro, silently ordering him to lower his swords.

"Get out of my way," Zoro spat and took a step closer towards the redhead. "Or I'll cut you too."

Luffy lowered his head an inch, his straw hat casting the upper part of his face in shadow and shielding his eyes from view. "Zoro!" he said authoritatively. "Stop it. We're nakama."

Sakura gaped. "N-na-nakama?!" '_That means… Zoro is a pirate?!' _

Zoro pointed his sword in Sanji's direction. "Like hell I'd be in the same crew as that pervert!"

"O-oi! Watch your tongue, shithead!" Sanji retorted heatedly and made another attempt at closing the distance between them, but was held back by the navigator of the crew.

Said navigator glared at Sakura with an accusing look. "What did you do?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the redhead, clearly sensing the unspoken threat that hung in the air.

"Nothing." she stated coolly and came to stand next to Zoro.

"Bullshit!" the navigator called. "What did you _do_?" she questioned again.

"I didn't do anything." Sakura growled irritably and went to take a step further but was stopped by one of Zoro's blades.

"Stay." he ordered and shot her a glare which she couldn't decrypt.

"I'm not a fucking dog," the pinkette murmured angrily and glared back at him.

He smirked at that and she felt her cheeks burn from the blush that suddenly clad them.

Sanji picked up on the unspoken conversation between the two and growled angrily from behind Nami. "What the hell did you do to my beloved macaron?!"

Sakura glared at the blonde. "My name is not macaron. It's Sakura." she spat angrily while the swordsman took another step towards the crew.

He faced the blonde with a wicked smirk on his lips. "Something you will never get the chance to do, you shitty cook!"

* * *

Zoro found himself on a ship far out in the open blue of the ocean. The sun was shining down on his relaxed form as he sat leaning against the mast of the ship with his arms crossed behind his head as a makeshift pillow. His three swords rested in an organized pile to his right while he basked in the sunlight and enjoyed the calm atmosphere up on deck.

"Nami-swan! My sweet Nami-swan, I made a drink just for you!~" Sanji sang cheerfully while noodle-dancing his way out from the kitchen to where Nami was currently basking in the sun in her new designer bikini.

Zoro furrowed his brows in irritation. That fucking chef got on his nerves more often than not. Deciding to ignore his obnoxious voice, Zoro turned his head slightly to the side and tuned out any outside noise while trying to fall back asleep.

His clothed leg moved an inch or two as someone was nudging it with their foot and he opened one eye slowly to glare at the person.

"Shithead," he stated nonchalantly and closed his eyes again. He was in no mood to talk to the chef at this moment.

"Dinner is served, shitty marimo." the blonde uttered and stomped across the otherwise empty deck as he headed back to the kitchen.

Zoro peered after the blonde and 'tsk-ed' in irritation. Why did Luffy have to add that idiot to the crew? He was nothing but a perverted cook with no ambition after all.

Reaching for his swords, the swordsman silently got to his feet and headed to the kitchen.

"Shitty cook," he muttered darkly and took a seat by the table next to the redheaded navigator.

* * *

He lowered his swords a bit while Luffy stepped closer to him and Sakura. Was that another memory? Was he actually a part of this odd crew and not a pirate hunter after all?

"Zoro," the captain of the Strawhats began but was cut off by the voice of Dr. Kureha.

"I see you finally met, shishishishishi."

"Tch," Zoro muttered and sheathed his swords completely. That woman had a way of getting on his nerves without even trying to.

"Kureha-sama," the pinkette by his side greeted with a slight nod.

"Sakura, Zoro," the old lady began and stepped in between the small group of people. She opened a door to her right and motioned for the group to follow.

Zoro shot Sanji a look of disapproval as he entered behind Sakura and was followed by Luffy, whom apparently was his captain. The group took their seats around a large table while Dr. Kureha stayed standing by the corner of it.

"Old lady, what's going on?" Luffy questioned and saw the doctor's eyebrow twitch in irritation.

"Who are you calling old, bastard?!" she growled menacingly which caused Luffy to cower under her stare.

The soft patting of hooves sounded from outside of the open door and Chopper entered, tightly followed by a halting Usopp.

Luffy reached his arm out and pointed mockingly at the sniper's bandaged form. "Ah-hah-hah-hah, you look like a mummy!" the captain of the Strawhats laughed much to the sniper's dismay.

Nami face-palmed at her captain's insensitive antics and shook her head dismissively. She was stuck in a crew full of idiots.

"Z-zoro!" the sniper exclaimed in shock as his eyes landed on the green-haired swordsman. "Y-you're alive!"

Zoro raised a brow at the long-nosed pirate on the other side of the table. Who the hell was that idiot?!

Sakura sunk further into her seat next to Zoro. '_He's a pirate.'_ she thought to herself. '_He's a fucking pirate and I'm a freaking ninja!'_

Usopp glanced at the pinkette and inclined his head towards her. "Who is she?!"

"That's Sakura," Luffy stated clearly and looked at the ninja for some sort of acknowledgment.

Sanji stared at his captain, surprised that he had actually bothered to learn the pinkette's name, before turning to glare angrily at Zoro.

Zoro met Sanji's blue eyes with a cool stare of his own while silently sizing the cook up. Did he feel threatened? Yes. Would he lose? No. Sakura was his, not that stupid cook's and he would make damn sure that perverted asshole knew this. Stealing a glance of the pinkette, he noticed her indecisive stare as she looked at each of the pirates around the table.

Sakura felt oddly misplaced. This was dangerous for her. They were enemies after all. Her face paled noticeably as it dawned on her. '_I slept with the enemy.'_ She felt sick all of the sudden and went to stand up when Kureha finally spoke again.

"This is Sakura," she began and Sakura paused midway as all eyes were on her. "She is _my_ _apprentice_ and she has been taking care of the swordsman for a couple of days."

Sakura sat back down. The way the doctor had emphasized her apprenticeship had not fallen on deaf ears. '_Did she just save me?'_ She shot the doctor a confused look and got a ghost of a smile back with a reassuring nod.

"You're a doctor, Sakura?" the captain of the crew questioned in awe. "That is _so cool_!"

Sanji suddenly got a distant look in his eyes while a light pink dusted his cheeks. "Sakura-chwan is a nurse~!" he cooed while imagining the pinkette in a white, short nurse-outfit. He laughed idiotically at the images, clearly enjoying the fantasies that were beginning to play before his eyes. "Will you be my personal nurse, Sakura-chwan? I will shower you in endless love and affection for the rest of my life~!"

"She will not be with a perverted asshole like yourself, shitty cook!" Zoro growled while Nami smacked the back of Sanji's head to snap him out of his perverted thoughts.

Sakura stared in genuine horror at the people in front of her while hearing Luffy laugh merrily from his end of the table. '_They really are idiots,'_ she thought to herself and stole another glance of Dr. Kureha. Chopper had gone to stand next to the old lady whom was currently pinching the bridge of her nose -probably attempting to get rid of an oncoming headache.

Zoro took notice of the sudden change in Sakura and watched her quietly from the corner of his eye. She had changed the moment his pirate-status had been revealed and he wondered why that bothered him as much as it did.

He nudged her knee with his under the table and met her stare when she whipped her head in his direction. She was acting jumpy and on edge, and he did not like it.

"Oi! Teme! Stop looking at Sakura that way!" the cook growled and slammed his palms onto the table while standing up, receiving the swordsman's attention right away.

"Wanna go at it again, curly brows?" Zoro challenged and rose from his seat as well.

Sakura rolled her eyes. These two were worse than her old team-mates.

* * *

She found herself completely depleted of energy in her too-large-for-one-person bed a few hours later. Her whole day had been crazy. Her evening even more so. She had come to learn that the Strawhat Pirates were an active bunch of idiots. How Luffy had managed to get the position as their captain was a mystery to her. His mind revolved mostly around food and his dream to be the pirate king. He was also extremely oblivious to most things and reminded her a lot of Naruto that way.

Nami was the navigator whom was obsessed with treasures and money. The redhead had a short temper and was not afraid to voice her own opinion. She also managed to keep the constantly fighting cook and swordsman in check by manipulating the chef to her own gain. Yet she showed no fear when Zoro threatened her, which Sakura actually admired.

Sanji was special, to say the least. A top-chef according to his crew mates, and constantly swooning over women. He was the self-proclaimed _prince of love, _God's gift to all women and always on the lookout for that special someone. She had seen the way he looked at Nami and it was clear to her that he truly cared deeply for the redhead.

Usopp was the sniper of the crew, and a weird one at that. He was always lying and making up stories. He had told her he had a crew of 8000 men and could lift up to 10-tons in weight. Both statements were clearly lies, but Sakura had not had the heart to tell him she could see through them.

Then there was the swordsman. Zoro. The man she had healed and welcomed into her life unknowing of their enemy-status. Zoro was the first mate and Luffy's right hand. His biggest dream was to become the greatest swordsman in the world, according to Nami. He was thickheaded, stubborn, had no sense of direction -that she had already learned, and his usual traits was either working out or sleeping. The working out part had made sense. She had seen his body after all.

Sighing in frustration, Sakura turned to her side and buried her face in her pillow. Dr. Kureha's comment about straw hats suddenly made sense and she wondered briefly how long it would take before Zoro regained his memories. Now that they were here, she was no longer needed in his life and that thought alone stirred up an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach. He would leave and she would never see him again. He was a pirate, she was a ninja. They were not meant for each other.

The mattress dipped slightly behind her. She didn't bother turning around. She already knew who it was.

"Sakura," he murmured and pushed her pink hair out of her face before laying down behind her.

She bit her lip to prevent herself from saying anything. All she wanted to do was turn around in his arms and stay with him forever, but she couldn't. They were sworn life-long enemies. Their ancestors had seen to that.

He wrapped a bare arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his chest. She felt the heat emanating from his body and froze when he suddenly nuzzled his face in her hair and breathed in her scent. He was making things so damn difficult for her. A tear escaped her eye and she let it fall, silently weeping in his arms.

He remained quiet behind her for a moment and breathed softly into her hair.

"Do you want me to leave?" he questioned quietly and felt her shake her head no. A few seconds passed before he spoke again. "Then I'll stay."

She turned in his arms after that and buried her face in his chest while clinging onto his frame. She didn't want him to leave. Not now. Not ever.


	8. 08 - Nobody Wants To Be Lonely

**Chapter 8**  
**Nobody Wants to be Lonely**  
(Christina Aguilera feat. Ricky Martin)

* * *

The door flung open and the young male sprinted into the large office.

"Sir," he panted and bent over to place his hands on his knees while trying to catch his breath.

"Stop barging into my office unannounced, you piece of shit!" the older male growled from his seat where he sat watching the monitors covering the wall behind his desk.

The younger male flinched at his boss' displeased tone.

"My apologies, sir." the youngster said meekly before rising to his full length. "The ship is read-"

"I can see that from here." the older growled irritably. "What else?"

"You requested the elite. There's only one of them available for departure at this moment."

"Who?" the older retorted and spun his chair around, but not fully.

"B-Bartholomew Kuma, sir."

The older male remained quiet for a short moment before inclining his head in a nod of approval. "Splendid. Join him."

"Sir?" the youngster questioned in a surprised tone while his eyes widened in shock.

"I am tired of your face. Leave."

"I-I don't-"

"Are you deaf, shitface?" the elder growled again.

"No, sir."

"Then go."

The young male nodded once more and headed for the door before stopping dead in his tracks. "Sir?" he started as another question popped into his young mind, and he turned his face to peer at his superior.

"Get out!"

"H-hai!"

* * *

Zoro had dozed off sometime during the night with his arms wrapped securely around the pinkette. Her minor breakdown had subsided to a dull ache in her chest and she had spent most of the darkest hours of the night just listening to the soft snores of the swordsman as he slept soundly next to her. She could not fathom why she had reacted the way she had by the thought of him leaving. He was nothing but her patient after all. But then again, doctor-patient relations created a special bond between two people; a bond of unconditional trust and faith in the other person. Perhaps she wasn't ready to break that bond just yet, even though she knew she would have to eventually.

She picked at the plate before her with her chopsticks. Sanji had been cooking them breakfast and while it both smelled and looked delicious, she couldn't get herself to taste it.

"What is she doing?" she heard the sniper whisper loudly across the table.

"Huh, who?" his captain mumbled almost uncomprehendingly with his mouth stuffed with food, which muffled anything he uttered.

"Don't speak with your mouth full in front of women, idiot." the chef grumbled sourly before stealing a glance at the pinkette. "Macaron-chwan, would you like something else to fill that subtle stomach of yours~?"

"O-oi! Watch it, shitty lovecook!" Zoro growled from his seat and sent the blonde a menacing glare. Now knowing the perverted nature of the blonde, Zoro's mind immediately deciphered Sanji's question as something that was in no way related to food.

"What did you say, marimo?!" the cook challenged while meeting the swordsman's gaze with a fiery one of his own.

"Sanji-kun," the navigator chimed in and raised her empty glass. "Can I have one more of these, please?"

Sanji's cheeks turned into a light shade of pink as the navigator finally acknowledged his existence, and he hurried over to her side, gracefully taking her empty glass into his hand. "Anything for you, Mellorine~" he wailed in a sing-song voice before dancing out of the dining room.

Nami faked a smile as she watched him leave before eyeing the pinkette through her lashes. "Someone might clean that plate of yours if you don't eat up soon."

Just as the words left her mouth, a long arm stretched across the table towards Sakura's plate and swiftly emptied it. Sakura stared in utter horror at Luffy when his arm retracted to its normal length with a snapping sound.

Nami smirked deviously at her end of the table. "That's what I was trying to warn you about."

Sakura ignored the taunts of the redhead and furrowed her brows in confusion while peering at the male who had just finished the last of her breakfast. "What are you?"

Luffy's dark eyes shot to Sakura's and he pointed at himself with his thumb while grinning cheerfully. "I'm a rubberman!"

Sakura cocked a brow. "A what?"

"I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi and became a rubberman." the dark-haired boy retorted proudly.

"Gomu Gomu…" Sakura began slowly until the redhead cut her off.

"It's a devil fruit," Nami stated matter-of-factly. "Have you spent your entire life living under a rock or what?"

Sakura regarded the captain of the crew while clenching her fist around the left chopstick in irritation at the way Nami was currently speaking to her. '_A devil_ _fruit user,'_ she thought to herself. '_That means he's dangerous.' _The chopstick snapped into two which caused Sakura to glare down at the two pieces she was now holding in her hand. She placed them onto her empty plate and pushed her chair back, slowly rising from her seat and heading towards the door. She needed to get away from them. She had been warned about devil fruit users and their powers before leaving home. If she was going to do something right during her stay on the island, keeping away from these pirates would be it, and as much as she hated to admit it, that included the green-haired swordsman.

A hand shot out and grasped onto her wrist which stilled her movement while a jolt of electricity pleasantly coursed through her system. At the same time, the door leading to the dining room creaked as it slowly opened, showing off a set of horns with a pink hat resting comfortably in between them as their owner peeked carefully into the room. Sakura turned to face the owner of the hand and found her pale wrist resting casually in the clasp of Zoro's tan one. She bit her lip uncertainly, slowly letting her gaze travel up the muscular arm and shoulder until she finally met his gaze. Zoro bore a stoic look on his face, yet his eyes spoke volumes of nothing but affection and what she assumed was worry.

"S-sakura," Chopper called quietly with his squeaky voice from the door. "Doctorine says you are needed."

She made a halfhearted try at tugging her wrist free from his grasp while noticing the smalltalk around the table had suddenly died down.

"W-what is he doing?" Usopp voiced his thoughts in a failed whisper.

"Mellorine~!" the door to the kitchen swung open then and Sanji reemerged into the dining room with a new drink for Nami. "What the hell are you doing, crappy swordsman?!"

"Tch," Zoro loosened his grip around the pinkette and shot the chef an annoyed look. "Shut it, swirly brows!"

Sakura took that moment to escape with Chopper. She turned to steal one last glance at the swordsman, whom was currently shooting daggers at the blonde, before she closed the door to the dining room. '_If looks could kill…'_ she mused to herself. They were definitely worse than her old team mates.

* * *

Chopper lead her through the castle until they ended up in front of a large wooden door.

"They are too many," he stated and pushed the door open with his paws. "Doctorine could use an extra hand."

"Of course." Sakura nodded in understanding and entered the room after the tanuki.

The room was filled with hospital beds. Most of them were occupied by sick people whereas others stood empty. Pained groans and the panicked voices of relatives flooded through the room, and Sakura inwardly flinched at the thick and heavy atmosphere that hung over them. Dr. Kureha was standing in front of a queue of people, quickly giving them a once-over before directing them to where she wanted them to wait.

"Sakura, I need you to stitch that man up." she barked her order while pointing at a largely built male resting on one of the beds.

Sakura wasted no time and hurried over to the man. A bloodstained white robe hung over the edge of his bed and she immediately recognized it as one the Marines wore.

"My name is Sakura and I will be treating you today." she began out of habit while giving the man a ghost of a smile.

The man glared at her, his mouth set in a firm line. "I don't need help from a fucking girl. Give me the doctor!" he spat before wincing in pain as his bloodied midsection protested against his attempt at sitting up.

Sakura went closer to assist the male. "I am a doctor. You need to lay down."

"I don't take orders. I give them." he replied heatedly and shot her a look of disapproval.

Sakura suppressed her rising anger. She was tired of being looked down at. She was tired of being underestimated. She was tired of always being looked over when things really mattered. She was an aspiring doctor: one who knew exactly what she was doing when it counted. She was skilled and dependable, and she would stitch his wound up whether he liked it or not.

"You can either lay the fuck down and let me stitch you up or bleed to death. It's your call." she growled when he shook her hand off a second time.

He took his time sizing her up before giving in to his hurting body and laid back down.

"Thank you." she seethed through gritted teeth and brought out her favorite scissors from her medical pouch and cut through the bandages wrapped around his waist. "What happened to you?" she inquired when seeing the open wound on the left side of his stomach.

"Tch, Strawhat Luffy is what happened."

She shot him a look of surprise and placed a gauze onto the wound, giving light pressure to it while fishing up a needle and her roll of surgical suture from the pouch.

"Strawhat Luffy?" she questioned innocently. "Who is that?" Gathering intelligence was part of being a ninja after all, and the more she knew about her enemy, the better she could avoid him, or so she hoped.

The male growled in annoyance and turned his head to face the wall. "A dead man once I get my hands on him."

"Sakura!" Dr. Kureha yelled from across the room. "Less smalltalk, more work."

"H-hai!"

* * *

Zoro walked aimlessly through one of the dimly lit corridors deep inside of the castle. Somehow he couldn't seem to get Sakura out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried. She had been acting weird since his crew mates had shown up and he didn't understand why. The Strawhat pirates were still strangers to him. He knew he belonged with them -they had told him so, and he had remembered random sequences from aboard a ship with a sheep figurehead, yet he couldn't understand why he had agreed to join such an odd crew in the first place.

The stupid lovecook was the one who irked him the most with his constant name calling and swooning over whatever woman was around, especially when it was directed at _his_ Sakura.

Nami seemed pissed most of the time and he chose to ignore her for the most part. He did not trust her one bit, and he disliked how she always seemed to interrupt the chef and him whenever they fell into another pointless argument which the chef would clearly lose anyway.

The sniper cowered whenever he laid his eyes on him and always came up with excuses not to be near him. He was an unreliable asset and would probably not stick around when or _if_ things got ugly.

Luffy was too carefree for his own good and not suited to be their captain. He was too oblivious to the things happening around him and too naive to understand what was going on. But even so, Zoro found himself having too much respect for the rubberman to leave his crew, and he guessed the reason for that was something he had yet to discover within himself.

His mind went back to the pinkette whom he technically owed his life to. Had it not been for her, he probably would have died out in the snow. She was avoiding him, he had come to realize, and that annoyed him. Her avoiding him also made it difficult for him to uncover who she really was. She was no ordinary doctor -he knew that. She was hiding something and he wanted to know what it was. He did not know _why_ that was so important to him. Nor did he know why _she_ even mattered at all. According to his crew mates, his biggest dream was to become the greatest swordsman in the world. Therefore he shouldn't let some wonderful, pink-haired woman come in between him and his biggest dream. Giving into her would make him weak. Yet she refused to leave his mind. This was unexplored territory for him - something he was sure he had never experienced before and if he had to admit it, it actually frightened him.

He entered through a wooden door to his right and found himself standing in an empty room. Deciding to get some training done and to let off some steam, he leaned his swords against the nearest wall before he flipped himself over onto his hands and started doing push-ups while practicing his balance at the same time. Strength and stamina were beneficial for a swordsman, and by exercising he would further his limits and hopefully get stronger in the process.

Regarding Sakura, he would figure out a way to keep her close; even if his sanity depended on it.

* * *

He sat quietly on deck with his hands resting a couple of inches behind his hips and with his head tilted slightly backwards while gazing up at the obsidian sky. Stars were scattered over the black sky like fireflies in a dark forest, creating constellations which he found himself admiring deeply.

This was the first time he had left the island, and the first time he had been ordered to do something other than deliver the intelligence gathered at the facility. He had been brought to the island as a young child -an act of bribery by his parents to keep their home island from getting destroyed by the marines. His current boss had been reluctant at first, stating he did not need a stupid brat jeopardizing his work, and had therefore ended up secluding the young boy in an unused part of the underground building during his first eight years of existence. He had watched from afar how the scientists always seemed to work on weapons and robots designed by his boss. The technology was far too complicated for his mind to understand, yet he had felt interested enough to try and create something of his own by using stolen blueprints of his boss' earlier works.

The project had failed miserably, yet the act itself caught the old man's attention and he had been moved to the intel-gathering section of the building where his keen eye for detail had been well put to use. However, staring at diagrams and various radars had not been satisfying enough, until he a couple of years later had discovered the chakra user currently residing somewhere between the East and South blue.

At 22 years of age, he smiled towards the sky in satisfaction at how things had turned out. If his parents were still alive, he was sure they were proud of him.

"Aphia," a deep voice called from behind him. "That's your name, right?"

"Yes." the youngster replied in a steady voice.

"There is a storm coming. You should go inside."

"I'll be there in a minute." Aphia retorted and continued watching the stars.

The slender man behind him muttered to himself as he made his way back down the shack he had emerged from. The brat wouldn't know what hit him until it was too late if he stayed too long up on deck, but he wasn't his responsibility so he left the youngster to himself and helped aiding the rest of the crew with the preparations to withstand the oncoming storm.

* * *

"So," the navigator began and glanced at her crew.

They were currently residing in the room the three males had been appointed. Sanji stood by the window, looking out over the white landscape while Usopp was resting in his bed. Luffy was snacking on a ham sandwich he had managed to steal from the kitchen while a rare, thoughtful expression clad his features.

Sanji and Usopp looked at Nami, curious to hear what was going on in her mind.

"We found Zoro," she continued. "Yet we have no ship and can't leave this island. Sanji and I asked around in the village in hope of finding a shipwright, but there is none."

The men remained silent, so she went on.

"The Going Merry is gone. My treasure is somewhere on the bottom of the sea in the freezing water around the island. We can't buy a new ship, so what do we do?"

"We steal one." the sniper spoke up from his bed, sounding unusually calm and serious.

"We can't steal a ship, idiot." Sanji growled and lit the cigarette in between his lips. "How about asking one of the fishermen for a ride to the next island?"

"I doubt anyone will do that for a crew of pirates." Nami muttered and picked at her fingernails.

Usopp rose to a sitting position. "So we will steal one. Nami, you should be able to do that. You are a thief, after all."

The redhead shot him an angry glare which had the sniper cowering in fear and apologizing for what he had just said.

"Luffy?" she questioned and turned to face the captain whom had been quiet during the conversation. He was the one who called the shots in the end.

His thoughtful expression had turned to a distant one as he stared at a spot on the wall in front of him.

"Luffy!" Nami said a little louder. He jumped by the sound of her voice and turned his head to look at her. "What should we do?"

He raised one of his hands and stuck a finger in his nose. "About what?"

"You weren't even listening?!" Usopp and Sanji yelled in unison.

The rubberman grinned sheepishly with his finger still in his nose. "Sorry."

Nami pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.

"Idiot." she mumbled.

* * *

'_402, 403, 404, 405'_ Zoro counted inwardly as he did one armed push-ups on the stone floor in the room he had found earlier.

His sweater had been thrown into one of the corners since he had found it to be in the way as it had kept falling down over his face the moment he started his workout. Sweat glistened over his toned body while beads of sweat trickled down his temples as he continued pushing himself to the limit.

He had been forced to start over twice already because of a certain pink-haired doctor popping into his mind. The image of her bedazzling smile and soft curves had distracted him from counting, so he had punished himself for slipping up by redoing his set of push-ups. His current goal was 500 which would make it a total of 2000 with 1000 push-ups per each arm. His biceps and triceps were aching from the strain he had put them through and he found he liked how it actually made him feel alive. Once he was done with his workout session, he picked his shirt up from the floor and headed out the door.

After a couple of wrong turns, he finally made it to the floor where his, Sakura's and the rest of the Strawhat Pirates' rooms were. He headed to the bathroom to take a shower and quickly stripped out of his sweatpants before going to stand under the spray of cold water. The palm of his hands rested against the white tile in front of him and he closed his eyes while shuddering as the cold enveloped his heated body.

Water dripped from his hair, sliding down the curves of his face before falling onto the blue stones that covered the floor and disappeared down the drain. He sighed audibly as Sakura entered his mind once again. Those emerald green eyes of hers burned through him, straight into his soul and he clenched his fist in frustration. Why was she avoiding him? Had he done something wrong? Had he misinterpreted her true intentions from the start?

The image of her uncertain and horrified expression when he had grasped her wrist earlier that day came back to haunt him. Maybe he was trying too hard to get close to her and was in fact scaring her off instead? Maybe he should let her be for now.

A loud knock on the door made his head snap up to glare at the shower curtain.

"Are you done? There are more than you on this floor who need to use the bathroom." a muffled voice stated from the other side of the door.

"Tch," Zoro furrowed his brows in irritation. Sanji was getting on his nerves. He twisted the knob a bit to let warm water mix with the cold and let out a quiet sigh of relief once it started warming up his freezing frame. His fists clenched tighter together as another thought popped into his mind. What if Sakura found the chef more appealing than him? He shook his head at the thought. No. How could anyone find that shitty cook of any interest?

He turned the water off after the blonde banged on the door once more and quickly dried himself off before wrapping the towel around his hips and stepped out onto the cold stone floor. '_I'll give her some space.'_ he told himself and unlocked the door.

Sanji leaned against the door frame as Zoro made his way out of the bathroom.

"Took you long enough, Marimo."

"Shut it." he growled and headed to his room.

* * *

Sakura busied herself with the never ending masses of patients that piled into the castle for the next two days. Treating their wounds helped keeping her mind off the swordsman, but once she was alone in her room, she succumbed to the emptiness his absence caused her. She hadn't seen Zoro since the morning she had found out about Luffy's devil fruit abilities, and the rest of the pirates had avoided walking around the castle now that the Marines were being treated. Apparently their and some of the villager's wounds had been caused by a fight between the pirates and the Marines, and she had often wondered just how strong the lean Strawhat captain really was since he was still up and running without any visible injuries. Were the rest of his crew as powerful as him?

"Sakura?" Chopper called from her side, causing her to jump as he startled her. "You're ruining the herbs if you keep grinding them like that."

Sakura looked down at the candle lit table to where she was currently crushing a mix of herbs in a marbled mortar and abruptly loosened the iron grip she had around the pestle.

"Sorry." she apologized while offering the reindeer a small smile.

She had learned a day prior that the small tanuki was in fact a doctor himself, and a rather good one at that. His main specialization was creating and counteracting drugs and ointments by using herbs, vegetables, fruits and roots, and he firmly believed there was a cure for any disease. So the ninja had asked him to teach her some of the things he knew. Furthering her knowledge was why she had been sent on this mission after all.

Dr. Kureha had even ordered Sakura to take a break from the people in need after noticing the paleness of the pinkette and how her hands trembled while she tried sewing up a slashed arm. The woman had also ordered her to grab something to eat and Sakura had shamefully taken the woman's advice. Her appetite had been gone for the past couple of days, so she had been living off the stack of soldier pills she always carried in her medical pouch. While they gave her the energy to keep going for a couple of more hours, they lacked the nutritions needed to keep her alert and strong. She was tired, both physically and mentally and she knew lack of both sleep and food was the underlaying factor for that while the reason behind it all was nothing else than her longing for the swordsman.

He had stopped coming to her room during the past two nights, and while she was thankful for that, she also felt more lonely and hurting than she had in a long time. In fact, the last time she had felt this empty had been when Sasuke left the village.

"Redo it." Chopper ordered with his squeaky voice and watched the woman nod her head before picking the mortar up and emptying its content in the nearby trash bin.

She had swooned after Saskue for years: always seeking his approval and acknowledgment, but he was always so focused on getting stronger in hopes of being able to kill his brother that he never noticed her. She did not understand at the time that in order for him to actually _see_ her, she would have to become stronger too. But before she got the chance to make a difference for herself, he had left.

Placing another set of herbs in the mortar, she started crushing them more carefully while Chopper supervised.

She was sure she would end up alone in the end. The life of a ninja did not give much room for relationships. In order for something to work out, she would probably have to settle with someone who shared her lifestyle. But out of the ninjas in her village, no one had caught her eye. She wasn't even sure how she would deal with the constant missions both she and her partner would get sent out on. There was always a risk of dying, of being ambushed, and while she had already seen that happen to some of the older generations, she was sure being the one mourning over a lost loved one would hinder ones careerer. Ninjas needed to be the best they could be. They needed to stay focused no matter what.

A soft paw suddenly came into view as it rested atop of her hand. She stilled her movement and looked quizzically at the doctor.

"You need to focus." he told her while his large, round, black eyes stared into her emerald ones. "The grainy substance is what keeps it together."

She sighed, frustrated with herself, and went to empty the mortar once more.

"You can do this, Sakura." the tanuki said truthfully. "I know you can."

She gave a lopsided smile and set the mortar down onto the table before softly placing her hands on his soft cheeks and leaned down to leave a chaste kiss on his furry forehead.

"You're too cute." she smiled and emptied another stash of herbs into the marbled mortar while Chopper swayed delightfully from side to side.

"Complimenting me won't make me happy, bastard!" he squealed cheerfully and heard the pinkette laugh heartily.

"You know," he continued in a more serious tone. "That's the first time I've heard you laugh since you got here."

She shot him a curious look which turned into one of contemplation. "You're probably right. We'll have to change that."

"W-what are y-you doing?!" Chopper cried out in fear when Sakura suddenly picked him up by his paws and started spinning them around in a circle.

She laughed in response and closed her eyes, willing all the heavy thoughts away from her tired mind. Chopper squealed in delight at the fast speed they were spinning and closed his eyes as well.

"What are you two doing?!" Dr. Kureha's voice suddenly boomed from the doorway.

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks and blushed scarlet at getting caught.

"Get back to work. Chopper, come with me. We have a situation."

Sakura let the furry doctor back down onto the floor, watching him hurry after his master. He turned to face the pinkette with an apologetic look on his face which Sakura responded to by sticking her tongue out playfully which had Chopper smiling immediately. He was too cute.

Once she was alone in the room she turned her attention to the herbs again. Chopper had faith in her and she would not let him down. As she crushed the mixture of fresh leafs, her mind went to Zoro once again. She missed the way he looked at her, missed the way he smiled when they were alone. She missed hearing his voice and missed breathing in his unique scent. She missed his touch and the way he would cuddle with her when they went to bed. But most of all, she missed how genuinely happy she felt when he was around.

Sasuke never made her feel happy, she realized. He always told her she was never good enough for him. She was a nuisance. She was annoying. She was weak. And while Zoro hadn't told her the opposite, she knew deep down that he truly cared. She had seen it in his eyes. She had felt it in the way he touched her. Hell, he had even apologized for something as stupid as jealousy, which was something she _knew_ Sasuke would never do.

Why were ninjas and pirates enemies? She had never truly heard the story behind it. Pirates were dangerous. Well, so were ninjas. Pirates were unreliable. Ninjas were too. There were enough traitors and missing nins around to last them a lifetime. Pirates were thieves. Ninjas stole things all the time: scrolls and various high-value objects that were either seen as a threat or a treasure depending on whatever village one derived from. When it came down to it, pirates weren't that much different from her kind. So why the hostility towards one another?

She looked down at the grainy paste she had created with the crushed leafs and smiled. She had done it. Chopper would be proud of her. If it wasn't for him, she never would have gotten it right. Scraping the paste into a small container, she then set it on the table and went to rinse out the mortar.

She deserved to be happy, she thought to herself as she walked down the dark corridor to get something to eat. It was late, probably after midnight already considering the position of the moon up in the obsidian-colored sky, and she hadn't eaten since Kureha had ordered her to. Maybe she should talk to Zoro while she still had the chance. They would probably be leaving soon anyway. She stopped abruptly, her eyes widening while her heart constricted painfully in her chest. What if they had already left? What if she had been too indecisive and was too late. What if her only chance to tell him how she really felt was gone with the wind?

What did she feel? Fondness? Lust? …love?

She turned on her heel and sprinted through the dark corridor. The fastest way to their sleeping quarters was the opposite direction from the one she had intended to take. Food would have to wait. She had to make sure he was still here. She needed to let him know.

* * *

"Captain," Aphia called as he made his way towards the captain of the ship. "There was a hit on the radar."

"Yes?" the bearded man questioned as he hovered over a map.

"The machine is not responding as fast out at sea, but we have pinpointed the location now."

The captain looked up, grey eyes acknowledging the boy their boss had thrown aboard. The youngster had been useless so far with no experience nor knowledge about the ship. His companion, the infamous Bartholomew Kuma, had locked himself up in his cubicle since they had departed from the island and the captain was thankful for that. The Shichibukai was scary and someone the captain did not want aboard the ship for longer than necessary. The pacifista had the whole crew on edge and they were all waiting for the day this mission was done and over with.

"I'm waiting." the captain raised a brow. Really, this boy was useless.

"Oh, right. The target is currently residing on Drum Island." Aphia filled in and offered a smile.

The captain looked down at the map once more and tapped a finger over Drum Island. It would take them at least two weeks to get there if they traveled in full speed. Give or take a day or two.

"Excellent."

Aphia leaned over the map as well until he sensed the agitation wafting from the captain.

"Don't you have someplace to be?"

Aphia grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Ah, I was hoping I could take a break for a while. Get some air, perhaps lend a hand-"

"No."

The youngster's grin faltered.

"Don't just stand there. Go!" the captain barked and shooed the newcomer away with a wave of his hand. What God did he ever piss off to get punished by a moron like this?

* * *

Sakura stopped outside of Zoro's door and took a moment to catch her breath. Her emotions were raging uncontrollably within her. She was scared, close to tears, excited, hopeful and scared again. She bit her lip, knocked on the door and waited. Was he angry with her? Asleep? Would he be happy to see her? Would he let her in even though she had been avoiding him for days?

The feeling of despair rose within her after about a minute of waiting. Why wasn't he opening the door? She lowered her head and looked down at her feet before trying again, this time knocking harder than the first time.

A shaky breath left her lips as she waited again, this time unable to keep her tears at bay. Had he truly left?

"Zoro?" she called out quietly and bit her quivering lip.

No reply.

She would have heard his snores if he was sleeping, but the room was dead silent from what she could hear.

"Please open the door," she begged and bowed her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please. I'm sorry."

"Sakura?" a voice called from somewhere to her left. "What did that shitty asshole do?!"

Sakura snapped her head to where the voice came from and quickly wiped away her tears with the sleeves of her shirt. "Sa-sanji!"

The chef came to stand in front of her with a worried and pissed off expression on his face. "What did he do?" he pushed and latched his hand carefully around her wrist, slowly removing her hand from her face. "I'll kill him."

Sakura looked down at her feet while tears of both joy and sadness escaped her puffy eyes. They were still on the island. Sanji grasped her chin with his free hand and tilted her head up.

"What did that idiot say to make these tears stain your beautiful face?" the blonde questioned softly while gazing into her emerald green eyes.

Sakura was at a loss for words. He was supposed to be her enemy, yet he seemed genuinely worried about her being. His thumb wiped at the track of tears that slid down the curve of her cheek and she stared at him in amazement, completely bewildered by the act itself.

Her bottom lip quivered again and she quickly wrapped her arms around the blonde's midsection before her mind had the time to register what she was doing. She cried into his chest while he wrapped an arm securely around her sobbing form while softly brushing his hand over her hair.

"The hell?!" another voice boomed from Sakura's left again and she quickly let go of Sanji and stared at the man the voice belonged to.

"Z-zoro…"

He looked pissed off and dangerously sexy with his hateful glare aimed at them, katana in one hand, ready to deliver a deathly blow at any second, and with a bottle of sake in the other.

Sanji glared back with as much ferocity as the swordsman and wrapped an arm protectively around Sakura.

"Stay away, shithead." Sanji growled as he tightened his grip around the pinkette.

"Fuck off, swirly brows." Zoro shot back and took a step closer. "I'll fucking kill you."

"Zoro," Sakura began and shook Sanji's hand off of her shoulder before taking a step towards Zoro.

"Not now, woman."

Sakura's breath got caught in her throat at those words and she stared at him with a hurtful look in her eyes.

"Get out of the way, Sakura-chwan." Sanji commanded darkly from behind her. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"No." she said firmly while clenching her fists. "Sanji, please leave."

"I will cut your limbs off if you move." Zoro growled with his eyes set firmly on the chef, watching his every move like a hunter stalking their prey.

"Get out of the way, Sakura." Sanji repeated. "He hurt you. I will deal with this."

Zoro's gaze flickered to Sakura's for a moment before returning to glare at Sanji again. "What is he talking about?"

"Tch, acting dumb to get out of trouble is low, even for you, scumbag." the blonde seethed through gritted teeth.

Sakura took another step towards Zoro. He shot her another look, this time with a hint of confusion hidden in his deep, black eyes.

"What is he talking about?"

Sakura turned to tell Sanji to leave once more and noticed he was nowhere to be seen. A shadow fell over her and she looked up just in time to see the blonde coursing through the air with an aura of rage surrounding his form.

"I hope you'll burn in hell!" Sanji growled as he somersaulted through the air with one leg outstretched in front of him while the other one was shooting forward in what Sakura assumed would be one hell of a kick.

Snapping her gaze to her lover, she saw him readying himself for the oncoming attack by crouching down and starting to swing his katana.

"Ittoryu-"

"Stop it!" she screamed and did the only thing she could think of. Sakura directed chakra to her feet and rushed to stand in front of Zoro when Sanji's foot came coursing through the air with such speed and force she was sure she would die the instant it would connect with her jaw.

"What the..?!" Sanji exclaimed in a panicked voice when realizing the pinkette was blocking his target. He did not hurt women, no matter the situation.

Zoro snaked the arm holding the bottle of sake around Sakura's waist and jumped back a couple of feet, still holding onto her while throwing his other arm out in front of them both to shield her from Sanji's attack. '_How the hell did she move that fast?'_

Sanji twisted mid-air, used the nearest wall for leverage and landed a foot away from the couple.

"Sakura?" the blonde started in a calm voice. "Are you insane?! I could have killed you!" he panicked.

Sakura turned in Zoro's grasp, ignoring the blonde for now. "I'm sorry. It was a mistake-"

Zoro glared at Sanji before shifting his gaze to the aspiring doctor. So he had been right about them after all. They had been creeping behind his back.

"You weren't there-"

He sheathed his sword. He didn't want to hear it, whatever excuse she may have.

"I'm sor-" she brought her hand up and slapped him in the face. "Are you even listening?!"

It stung. His whole cheek stung from the impact. Glaring down at the pinkette, he saw a look of fury flicker through her eyes.

"What?" he growled. She had no right to slap him.

"What's going on?" Luffy questioned from a bit behind Zoro.

"Nothing." the chef and the swordsman seethed in unison.

"Well then, I'll go back to bed. See you tomorrow!" their captain stated cheerfully and went back into his room.

Sakura stared in awe at the closed door. Luffy was more dense than she had given him credit for. "Sanji?"

"Yes, my love?~"

Zoro's eye twitched irritably. They were making him sick.

"Will you give us a second, please?" Sakura requested while keeping her eyes locked with Zoro's.

"Are you sure?" he hesitated while eyeing them both.

"Yes."

Sanji nodded once and walked past them them, heading for the bedroom.

"We're leaving at daybreak," Zoro called after the chef. "It would be a shame if you overslept." he continued tauntingly.

Sakura felt her heart shattering to pieces at those words. The moment she had been dreading for the past couple of days had finally caught up with them.

"What?" she whispered. She had taken too long. Her indecisiveness about the man before her had hindered her from spending much needed time with him.

"Wouldn't count on it, marimo." Sanji retorted mockingly before disappearing into the room he shared with Luffy and Usopp.

Warm, salty tears slid down her cheeks again. Zoro eyed her warily, unsure of what to do. Sakura bit down on her lip. If this was their last night together she needed to let him know how she felt. She owed that to herself.

Standing on her tiptoes, she planted a soft, sad kiss onto his lips while leaning against his chest for support. He didn't respond. Dark brows furrowed in confusion. Was he wrong about them or was she into them both? He had to know.

"Sakura," his voice was muffled by her lips, his hands went to grasp around her wrists and he carefully peeled them off of his chest.

"Please," she pleaded, eyelids fluttering open to reveal a pair of dark, blank, emerald green eyes while he held onto her. "I need this."

"Why?" his voice was barely above a whisper. It hurt. Seeing him with the stupid lovechef hurt.

A blush crept over her cheeks and she lowered her gaze while standing back down on the soles of her feet. Telling him the truth could either bare or break. Was she ready to risk it all?

"Because," she paused and bit her lip uncertainly before raising her head once more. "Because all I can think about is how much I miss you." she continued in a quiet voice. "And if this is your last night here, I want to spend it with you."

He let go of her wrists and took a step back, still holding the bottle of sake in his hand. It wasn't good enough.

"Why?" he asked again.

"Because," she whispered. "Because I… love you."

She couldn't look him in the eye -couldn't get herself to look at him at all. He was quiet. Too quiet. She shouldn't have said anything. He clearly didn't feel the same way and she realized she had just made a fool out of herself.

He was shocked and confused. Her actions these past couple of days had told him the opposite of what she was telling him right now. Why had she kept this from him? Why hadn't she told him sooner?

"I'm sorry, I'll go." she sniffled and attempted to walk past him to the security of her room until his hand grasped onto her wrist once more.

"Why…?" he wasn't sure what he was asking. He had so many questions but didn't know how to voice them.

She pressed her lips tightly together and kept her eyes locked on a random spot on the floor while heat was spreading from where he held his fingers around her wrist. "I didn't want this to happen." she stated quietly. "I didn't intend to fall for you."

He remained quiet.

"When I found you, I just wanted to help you. And once I got to know you, or parts of you, I realized you were everything I wanted in a man. And then I tried pushing everything away because we can't be together."

"Why can't we?"

She bit her lip again. "I can't tell you that."

"Why?"

A short, despaired laugh left her lips. "Is that all you can say?" she questioned humorlessly.

"Sakura," he sighed.

"Please, don't."

Seeing her like this broke his heart. She looked so vulnerable. He was surprised she managed to hold herself together as well as she was.

"What about that shitty cook?" he needed to know.

"Sanji?" she questioned and shot him a confused look. "What about him?"

A delicate brow rose above his eye. "Weren't you two…" he trailed off.

"I thought you left. I thought I was too late. Then he showed up and thought you had hurt me, that the reason I cried…" it dawned on her by then. "He comforted me and then you showed up. There's nothing going on between him and me."

"Ah…"

He slid his thumb over the inside of her wrist and looked down at the floor, mimicking her action from earlier. So he had been wrong about them. And she had stayed away because they couldn't be together. He would be leaving in a couple of hours and she would remain on the island. She had laid it all out there, her feelings, her thoughts, everything.

"What are you thinking?" she questioned carefully.

"I'm an idiot."

She smirked at that. "That's what I've been saying all along."

A lopsided smile clad his lips by her statement.

"Tch, witch." his black eyes went to hers once again and this time she met them full on.

"Idiot."

He tugged at her wrist and snaked an arm around her waist before leaning his forehead against hers. "I'm _your_ idiot."

The tip of her nose brushed against his when she leaned in closer, emerald eyes staring lovingly into his black ones. "What does that make me?"

"_My_ witch." he said with a hint of possessiveness and sealed it with a soft, loving kiss.

* * *

Dawn arrived a couple of hours later. Sakura laid halfway across Zoro with one leg draped over his thighs. Her cheek rested on top of his chest while he had one arm wrapped securely around her naked form. Her pink hair covered most of his right shoulder and her breaths came out in warm, steady waves over the upper part of his chest. She was caressing his soft skin with her fingertips, carefully trailing them along the long scar that clad his torso. He was snoring softly partly underneath her form, eyes closed, lips slightly parted. She listened to the steady beating of his heart, feeling more and more sad as the warm rays of the sun reached further and further up the leg that had escaped the purple blanket that messily covered them both.

She wasn't ready to let him go, but she knew she had to. The Marines were after them, coming closer and closer every day. They were already in the castle, currently recovering from their fight and they were getting better. She had seen to that herself.

Calloused fingers slid along the curve of her hip, slowly making their way down the dip of her waist before descending over her hip again. She shivered under his touch while a feeling of heat spread through her system. She lifted her head to observe him and realized he was still asleep. A sad smile appeared on her lips as she laid her head back down onto his toned chest. '_If only we had more time.'_

Two knocks sounded from the door before said door opened up. Sakura yelped in surprise and pushed the swordsman off the bed while scrambling to cover herself with the blanket.

"The hell?!" he questioned hoarsely from his current position on the floor, not at all happy about the brutal wake up.

"Sakura," Dr. Kureha began as she entered the pinkette's room. "Oh, good. You're awake."

The ninja pushed a pillow discreetly off the bed as an act to give Zoro something to cover himself with while he hid from the old hag, as he so gracefully called her.

"Get dressed, we have a situation." the elderly continued while eyeing the flustered girl. "Bring the swordsman too."

Zoro peeked up from the floor with his green hair in a total mess while Sakura's blush deepened.

"Seriously, you two are worse than rabbits." the doctor added before stomping back into the hall.

Sakura turned to face her lover with an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry, I panicked."

He shook it off with a swift wave of his hand and reached for his discarded clothes. Sakura went to find her own and quickly tugged them on before hurriedly brushing her fingers through her hair. She headed for the door but was pulled into a solid chest by two strong arms before she reached it. A quiet moan left her lips when he nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck from behind and planted a trail of heated kisses over the exposed skin. She turned in his arms and slid her hands up his chest as he pulled her closer by circling his arms around her waist. He captured her lips with his, sliding one hand over her clothed back while she entangled her fingers in his untamed hair.

Voices came from the hall which caused him to leave one last heartfelt kiss on her lips before slowly pulling away. It was time.

They headed to their right and was just about to pass Luffy's room when Sanji peeked his head out the doorway.

"Good morning, Sakura-chwan~!" the chef greeted cheerfully when laying his eyes on Sakura.

"Good moning," Sakura replied with less enthusiasm than she had intended.

Sanji's blue eyes went to Zoro and his previously cheerful expression turned into a grim one in less than a second. "Took you long enough, Marimo."

Zoro pushed the blonde out of the way as he made his way into the rest of the crew's bedroom. "Shut it, swirly brows."

The Strawhats were all seated around the round table in the middle of the room and Sakura realized she felt oddly misplaced in a room full of pirates. Dr. Kureha came to meet the pinkette and motioned for her to follow her outside. Shutting the door behind them, the older woman eyed the ninja with a serious look.

"I'm going to ask you something and I need you to be one hundred percent honest with me."

Sakura's brows furrowed in confusion. "Okay?"

"Have you been using chakra while staying on this island?"

Sakura's eyes widened at the sudden question. "What?"

"Have you been using chakra during your stay here?" the doctor questioned again.

Hanging her head in shame, Sakura nodded her head yes and heard the woman before her sigh deeply.

"You're in trouble, Sakura."

The pinkette lifted her gaze. "I didn't know what else to do. He was dying and I needed to heal him." she defended.

"I'm not the one to be afraid of." the woman said quietly. "The Marines are fleeing this island, Sakura. Do you know why?"

Sakura cocked a brow. "No?"

"There's a man, a scientist, he experiments on people -mainly devil fruit users. He has sent someone to capture you."

"W-what?"

"You need to leave. You need to get as far away from here as possible. That man is dangerous. God knows what he would do to you if he got his hands on you and your abilities."

Sakura was shocked. Someone was after her? They tracked her down? How?

"I need you to go with the Strawhat pirates. They can keep you safe, at least for a while."

Sakura took a step back. "You want me to go with them?" she questioned disbelievingly while inclining her head in the direction of the door. "Me, with pirates? What about my training?"

"Chopper will go too. He will take over from here."

"I don't understand."

The woman sighed again. "I promised Tsunade I would keep you safe, and right now, going with them is the only way I can keep my promise to her."

"Who is after me?" Sakura inquired.

"Dr. Vegapunk."

"And he's dangerous?"

"Very." Kureha retorted and opened the door to the bedroom again. She stepped into the dimly lit room with Sakura trailing behind. Locking her eyes with Luffy's the woman spoke up again. "I said I would lend you my ship on one condition."

Luffy's ears perked up at that. "Ah, you did."

"Sakura is temporarily joining your crew and I need you to keep her safe."

"S-s-s-safe?" Usopp stammered. "From w-who?"

"It does not matter."

The captain glanced at Sakura, almost as if he was sizing her up. "Okay." he agreed with a toothy grin.

"You can't let random people join our crew just like that!" Nami growled while shooting her captain a look of disapproval.

Luffy stared at her as if she was dumb. "Of course I can. I'm the captain!"

Sakura bit her lip uncertainly while shyly meeting Zoro's heated gaze. He nodded his head in approval with a wicked grin on his lips. His captain wasn't so bad after all.


	9. 09 - How Soon is Now?

**Chapter 09  
**  
**How Soon is Now?**  
(The Smiths)

* * *

It had taken them less than three hours to board Kureha's ship which had been docked in the harbor of a village on the other side of the island. They had made a quick stop at said village to stock up on supplies which Kureha had paid for since none of them had enough beri, save from Nami. The cheapskate navigator had hidden her stash of money in her bra, a place she found perfect for keeping things well hidden from the rest. And while she laid basking in the warm sun up on deck, she smiled triumphantly to herself, more than pleased with how she managed to get away with almost anything.

Chopper was scurrying about below deck in a room Kureha had seemed to use as the sick bay. A few bottles of potions, which were dusty from age, rested on top of one of the wooden shelves adorning one of the walls. He had yet to check their contents as he was busy unpacking his rucksack and going through the drawers while trying to organize everything in the small but essential room. A rounded window, located above a fold-down bed, allowed enough light into the room for the doctor to see clearly as he rummaged through his and Kureha's old things. He felt sad he had to leave his master behind, but excited nonetheless to go on a journey of his own. While he was still wary of most of the Strawhat pirates, he felt relief that the pink-haired woman he had befriended was there as well.

Dr. Kureha had told him about Sakura's unusual situation and apprenticeship under her, and when finding out about her status as a ninja, he had been scared at first, but quickly overcame his fear. He had been ordered to continue teach and supervise the pinkette, and the faith Kureha had embodied in him made his humanized reindeer heart swell with pride.

Sanji had taken it upon himself to prepare lunch for the hungry travelers and was standing by the stove in a humble but well-planned kitchen. The kitchen had a small working-space, with cabinets containing pots, pans, bowls and whatever else might be needed for cooking, hidden underneath the wooden surface. A set of drawers were located to the right of the cabinets, filled with knifes, spoons, forks and ladles in various sizes. While the selection was on the sparser side, Sanji was pleased to at least have something to work with, and he would make the best out of the situation. If he caught Nami in a good enough mood, perhaps he could ask her to buy them new necessities. He did want to serve them the best, and every chef knew only the best of the best was good enough for that.

There was also a table with seats for four near the corner of the room, which gave the chef enough space to walk around freely when cooking. And in the other corner was a, what he would say, useless refrigerator which barely had any room to store even the essentials. He knew Dr. Kureha had barely used the ship since most of her patients came to her on the island, but not investing in a fridge was unforgivable. Maybe he should bring that to Nami's attention as well?

The kitchen had two windows, one directly to the right of the entrance whilst the other was located above the sink and the workspace. As Sanji went to cut some more vegetables for the stew he was making, he glanced out the window, having full view of the deck below. They all seemed to be relaxing in the warm rays of the sun. He hummed in contentment. It felt good being back on the sea.

Usopp was laying in one of the solid beds in the men's sleeping quarters, still all bandaged up and trying to recover from his broken leg. The room had another identical bed as well and a cot hanging from the ceiling. An old, worn out recliner was seated in the faraway corner with a modest, yet useful chest of drawers next to it. The four males had each gotten their own drawer for their personal belongings, but hadn't bothered putting it to use just yet.

Even though the sniper was trying to relax, his mind worked in a fast pace, trying to come up with a better, more effective way to use his slingshot if they were to get attacked again. He was always inventing new things on the Going Merry and he had no plans of stopping that trait. Nami had requested some sort of weapon since she felt useless in battles, and while he knew that feeling very well, he had yet to come up with something that would suit the navigator.

Luffy was perched up on the roof of the kitchen, grinning joyously while loving both the view of the blue ocean as well as the soft breezes that would occasionally ruffle the strands of hair which had escaped his straw hat. He was beyond happy. Not only had he been given a new ship, he had also gained two more nakama. One of which was a doctor and the other aspiring to be one.

He glanced down to his right where he could see the pinkette leaning over the railing, watching the blue water. He had promised the old woman he would keep her safe, but not knowing from what or whom made it a bit difficult. Why was anyone after a doctor-to-be in the first place? Did she have some hidden powers he had yet to find out about? He would have to ask her that later. Smiling to himself, he placed the palms of his hands on top of his knees and peered out over the clear, blue ocean. What new adventures laid waiting for him beyond the horizon? He could hardly wait until he found out.

Sakura was lost in thoughts as she stood on deck with her elbows resting against the railing, chin stuffed lazily in the palm of her hands. The warmth of the sun enveloped her in a warm hug, a much needed contrast to the harsh weather on Drum Island. While her stay on the island had been short, she had still managed to learn a few new tips and tricks which she would put to use once she was back home.

Home. The thought of home left a bitter taste in her mouth. She had royally screwed this mission up. Not only had she failed to raise her medical-skills and gain as much knowledge as possible. She had even managed to break one of the few rules Tsunade had set for her before leaving: Do not use chakra. She had done it out of instinct at first, as a last resort to heal the man she was now falling for. The ninja hadn't thought too much about it at first, not understanding the dangers it could cause her, and look where that had brought her. She was on a ship with pirates, unable to continue her tutoring under Dr. Kureha because someone had found out about her abilities and was now after her. This Dr. Vegapunk, as he was called, was supposedly very dangerous and someone she did not want to meet. His title as scientist made her mind go directly to Tsunade's old team mate, Orochimaru, the man Sasuke had gone to in order to get stronger. If this Dr. Vegapunk was anything like the traitorous snake-master, she wanted nothing to do with him. Nothing at all.

Sighing in frustration, she shifted her posture a bit. The sun was too warm. She had yet to change into something more sun-friendly since she was still wearing the slacks from Drum Island. The water looked too tempting to resist and she was dying for a bath. They were traveling at a slow speed, one she could definitely keep up with. Giving one last glance around the deck, she flung her shirt off and tossed it to the side before sliding her pants down as well. She climbed over the railing, leaned a bit over the edge of the ship before diving gracefully into the cold water.

Zoro was seated on deck, currently sleeping with his back resting against the mast and with his hands folded behind his head. His three signature swords were within arms reach, ready to be drawn if he was to sense any danger towards the crew. His chest heaved and fell when he breathed, slowly and steadily, up and down, until his idiot captain started yelling out the names of his attacks.

The moss-haired male opened one eye to see what the ruckus was about and quickly snatched two swords into his hands as he bolted upright. A sea king had risen from the water, its massive head hovering partly over their ship. One of Luffy's arms were stretched out and wrapped around the monster's neck and as he flung himself at the gigantic fish with the intent to beat it to death, Zoro took a moment to glance around the deck. Nami was standing near the kitchen's entrance with a horrified expression on her face. The cook had climbed up on the roof of the kitchen and was yelling at Luffy for being too careless and stubbornly telling the rubberman that he would not jump in and save him if he were to fall into the water. Turning his head, he saw Usopp's curly-haired head peek worriedly up from one the hatches to the lower deck, and when the swordsman turned back around, he saw the clothed behind of the reindeer as he dumbly tried to hide himself by looking in the other direction of the threat. Everyone was present except the one person he was trying to find.

An unsettling feeling surged to life deep within his gut. Where was Sakura? He strode up to the railing and peeked over the edge of the ship while his captain called out Gomu Gomu no Pistol Shot and repeatedly hit the sea king with his fists. The monster-fish dove back into the water which caused Luffy to fall into the ocean as well.

"Goddammit!" Sanji growled from his position on the kitchen's roof and quickly kicked his shoes off while tugging off his shirt simultaneously. He dove into the water to save his captain when the sea king emerged from the blue depths again only a few feet from the two.

Zoro ran across the cleared deck, shouting loudly to gain the monster's attention when two hands suddenly gripped the edge of the ship before the pink-haired woman hoisted herself up, clad in nothing but her underwear.

"Oi! Are you just gonna stand there, shitty swordsman?! You've gotten more useless than before!" Sanji yelled angrily from below the ship as he tried to steer the panicking captain and himself away from the monster-fish.

Zoro gave a quick glance at Sakura to make sure she was alright. She panted heavily, her wet hair clinging to her face, but she seemed to be okay.

Snapping his focus back to the fish, Zoro raised his swords and set one foot on the railing.

"Ittoryu, Hiryu Kaen." he spoke quietly as he jumped from the ship with his full focus on the sea king.

Sakura forced her pink hair out of her face with a trembling hand. 'Where the hell did that humongous fish come from?'

"Sakura-chwan~!" she heard Sanji call from below her, so she turned to glance down the slanted side of the ship. "Could you please send down the ladder."

Looking around, she saw a small metal ring attached to a hatch on deck. She pulled at the ring and found a rope-ladder folded neatly in the small space. She flung it over the edge and made sure it was well attached before giving Sanji thumbs up to let him know it was safe to use.

Sakura grasped onto Luffy's forearms when he was close enough and pulled him up on deck. The Strawhat captain fell forward, hair falling over his eyes as he panted heavily. Sanji came up moments later and quickly sprinted down the deck to get a better view of the useless swordsman. He had learned early on that Zoro rarely joined in on battles unless Luffy either ordered him to or directly asked for help, and the cook would have to have a serious chat with the man about that. While Sanji was not a bad fighter he had been too busy saving the drowning captain to engage in the fight himself. The marimo did have the upper hand though, and when his blades sliced through the thickly skinned sea king, Sanji knew the threat was gone.

Sakura placed a hand on Luffy's back and rubbed it in gentle circle motions. "Are you okay?"

The rubberman took a couple of deep breaths before rolling onto his back, arms spread out on either side of his slender body. "Whew! I thought I was gonna drown." he breathed with a tinge of relief in his voice.

Sakura cocked a brow while staring down at the boy. "You can't swim?"

Luffy turned his head slightly to the side to look her in the eyes. "No. I'm a devil fruit user."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "I don't understand."

The loud thumping of footsteps found them before Luffy had the time to respond.

"Are you insane?! What the hell were you thinking?!" Nami yelled furiously at the pinkette which caused the ninja to crawl backwards to put some space in between herself and the enraged navigator. Nami went on while pointing an accusative finger at the woman. "Do you have any idea what danger you put me and my crew in?! Just who the hell do you think you are?!"

Sakura stared up at the woman in disbelief. She hadn't known there were fish as big as the summons back home in these waters. She didn't know going for a quick swim would draw their attention to her and the ship.

"I-" she started before Luffy cut her off in a more serious tone than she had heard him use before.

"Nami," he began while standing up. "Keep watch for now."

The redhead sent her captain an angry glare but did as she was told. Zoro climbed up the rope-ladder just in time to see her stomp away, and heaved himself up onto deck.

Sakura bit her lip nervously as she avoided Luffy's eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's alright!" the Strawhat captain replied with the cheerful voice he usually used. "We have strong people on this ship. I'm just glad you're okay!" he laughed cheerfully.

Sakura eyed him for a moment. "Say, Luffy… Why are you a pirate if you can't swim?" she questioned quietly and felt the eyes of the swordsman on her. She ignored him for now. He was probably pissed at her as well for endangering his crew.

Luffy's eyes shifted from her face to look at the horizon behind her. "I'm gonna be the Pirate King. There's no way I'd let some side-effect like this stop me." he finished with a reassuring smile.

She gaped at that. He was so much like Naruto.

"Sanji!" the captain shouted and turned on his sandaled heel, quickly sprinting to the other side of the deck. "I'm hungry! Let's eat!"

"Oi-oi!" she heard the blonde growl. "Ladies first! And we'll eat once it's done."

A lopsided smile clad Sakura's lips before she remembered Zoro was still sitting a few feet from her. She shifted her eyes to his, smile wavering slightly, and readied herself for some more scolding. But it never came.

He moved closer to her, the sheaths of his swords scraping against the wooden deck in the process. His clothes clung to him in their wet state, accentuating his toned muscles beneath the fabric. She let her eyes wander to his hair which laid unusually flat over the top of his head while dripping water down his temples and neck. He looked hot and for whatever weird reason, it made her feel flustered.

"Are you okay?" he questioned.

A light, pink blush tinted her cheeks and she quickly lowered her gaze to look down at her hands. "I'm fine."

"Sakura," he sighed and reached out to grasp her chin, but she turned and looked back at him again before he reached her.

"I'm sorry." she repeated her words from earlier. "I didn't know going for a swim would-" she trailed off when he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His touch sent a pleasant shiver up and down her spine. She bit her lip again and let her eyes drop from his face to his chest. "I'm sorry for getting you wet."

Zoro watched her for a few moments and found himself unable to really grasp her person. While she could be fierce and threatening one minute, she could be caring and supportive the other. But seeing her like this: submissive and apologetic was rare to him and he wondered what else she hadn't shown him yet.

His mind went back to the short conversation she had with his captain. The way she had questioned Luffy's inability to swim and how she didn't know about the sea kings made it clear to him that she wasn't from around here. So where was she from? Was her heritage the reason they couldn't be together?

Just as he was about to ask, Sanji's voice reached them.

"Lunch!"

Zoro let his eyes wander up her legs and ass when Sakura went to stand up. Her wet, black underwear clung to her body and left little to the imagination. While she wasn't as curvy as Nami, he found he preferred her this way. She was lean, yet toned but not overly so. He narrowed his eyes suddenly as he took in her form in the sheen of the bright sunlight. Something he had completely missed before were the many scars that covered her thighs, back and stomach. While they weren't overly prominent, he could make them out perfectly fine in this light. Where had she gotten those? Who was this woman really?

He realized he had been lingering a bit too long when Sakura suddenly cleared her throat.

"You know, it's not nice to stare." she repeated his line from a few nights ago and smiled when she caught the soft, almost invisible blush that appeared on his cheeks.

She held her hand out for him to take. He took her offer and let her pull him to his feet.

"I wasn't staring." he muttered and stepped closer to her, forcing her back against the wall where he placed his hands on either side of her face, entrapping her.

She smirked at that and slid her hands up under his wet shirt, feeling his muscles rip under her fingertips. "I believe you were." she stated huskily.

She had switched from apologetic to seductive in no time, he noted. Zoro leaned in closer, aiming for her lips, but decided to tease her instead and stopped only inches away. He could feel her breath fanning over his lips while her nails clawed softly at his scarred chest. Her half-lidded eyes narrowed a fraction before she moved forward to close the gap between them, but he wasn't done playing and pulled away once he felt her lips touching his. What role would she take on now? He wondered and smirked again. She would either get pissed or frustrated he guessed and met her annoyed eyes with a lazy but playful stare of his own. He felt his heart skip a beat when her eyes darkened and as she leaned back against the wall with a devious smirk he knew she was up to something.

"Maybe I'll just ask Sanji for a ki-"

A dark growl sounded from his chest as he crashed his lips against hers. While he knew she hadn't been serious, it still bugged him that she would play out the jealousy card. He would have to punish her for that later.

Her hands left their place from under his shirt and wrapped themselves around his neck instead. His tongue lapped at her lips and she immediately opened them to let him have a taste. His hands went to her hips and within a second he lifted her up and felt her wrap her legs around his hips and three swords. He made a quick thrust with his hips against hers and felt her moan into the kiss. God, how he loved that sound.

"Oi! Sanj-"

Zoro immediately let the pinkette down onto the wooden deck and took a step back from her at the sound of Usopp's voice. However, Usopp stood frozen only a few feet away from the two with a horrified expression on his face. It didn't take a genius to know he had seen them during their little make-out session.

"Lunch?" Sakura questioned and walked towards the sniper. "Good. I'm starving."

She bent down to pick up her clothes and quickly threw them on before continuing down the deck.

Zoro glared at the bandaged, long-nosed male and took a step forward. "I will break your crutches if you tell someone."

Usopp threw his hands and crutches up in defeat and shook his head furiously. "I-I-I- I didn't see anything. Nope. Nothing at all." he laughed nervously and stiffened when the swordsman walked past him.

"Good."

* * *

"Sakura-chwan~!" Sanji sang as he danced across the kitchen floor to where the ninja was leaning against the the wall with a bowl of stew in her hands. "Was the food satisfying enough for my sweet macaron-chwan today~?"

Her lips quirked upward around the spoon and she gave a soft nod before pulling it out and setting it down in her bowl. "It was very yummy, Sanji-kun." she offered him a smile. "And please stop calling me that. Sakura is just fine."

Sanji stopped his dancing right in front of her, pleased that she liked it. He stepped closer with a more serious look in his eyes. "But Sakura," he began. "Your soft, pink hair, sea-green eyes and sweet porcelain skin resembles the sweetest delicacy in the world way too much. And I'm sure we could find someplace else to work on that… creamy filling." he finished more quietly and twisted a strand of her still damp hair around his finger.

Heat spread in her cheeks at his words while Usopp suddenly choked on his food. Seeing as he was seated next to her at the table, she assumed he had heard the exchange of words.

Sanji turned to the sniper, suddenly aware of his presence. "Oi, bastard! I can't stand idiots who don't offer their seat to a lady." he growled and raised a leg to kick the curly-haired male at the back of his head when Sakura casually stepped in between them, still eating her stew.

"It's alright. He's hurt and I don't mind standing. Refill?" she asked sweetly and held her empty bowl up in front of the cook.

"Right away, macaron-chwan~!"

The pinkette took a calming breath and turned her head towards the door when heavy footsteps suddenly sounded from the staircase outside. Zoro entered seconds later, wearing the dark-green pants he had worn when she had first found him, and a white t-shirt with three buttons at the collar tucked into his green haramaki. The three swords were tightly secured in the green fabric while his right arm rested on top of them. A soft blush appeared on her cheeks as she took in this new look of his. He looked good. Really good.

Sanji came back with Sakura's refilled bowl and handed it to her while shooting Zoro an annoyed look. "The food's on the stove. Help yourself." he muttered before dancing over to where Nami was sitting. "Can I get you anything else, Nami-swan~?"

The navigator pursed her lips at the cook and slid her glass across the table. "Something sweet to drink would be amazing, Sanji-kun." she purred while giving Sakura a dirty look. However, Sakura was too busy ogling Zoro to notice, so the navigator sighed in defeat and straightened her posture.

"O-of course, Nami-swan~!" the flustered cook chimed and danced his way to the counter to make refreshments for the redhead.

Luffy shoved another spoon of stew into his mouth before holding his bowl up in the air. "Sanji! Seconds!"

The cook grumbled from his position near the sink. "You've had five bowls already. Wait your turn, shithead."

Luffy set his bowl on the table, turned to face the kitchen-area and stretched his arm out towards the pot on the stove, intent to get it himself.

"I will poison your next meal if you touch the pot."

Luffy snatched his hand back and rested his chin in the palm of his hands with a pout. "I'm hungry!"

Sakura laughed under her breath. Odd didn't even cover half of the Strawhat Pirates.

"How did you all get together?" she asked and looked at them one by one.

Silence fell over the kitchen. Sakura bit her lip nervously, wondering if she had been too nosy or if their gathering was simply a touchy subject.

"Luffy," Nami started with a sigh. "has a way of stumbling headfirst into adventures, if you can call it that. He and Zoro helped me and my village from a tricky situation and I joined their crew after that."

Luffy nodded in agreement, remembering the adventure as if it happened yesterday. Sakura was stunned Nami had actually decided to share parts of her story first, even though she was given the vague version, and as she locked eyes with the navigator, she offered her a small smile.

"Usopp was the next to join, after we helped fending off the Black Cat Pirates from his village. Their captain was after a girl named Kaya whom had inherited her family's riches, and since she and Usopp were friends, we decided to join in and help with the situation." Nami continued and took the drink Sanji silently offered as to not disturb the story.

"We got the Going Merry from Kaya, but-"

"We lost that ship outside Drum Island." Sanji quietly finished for her in the most serious tone Sakura had heard him use up until now.

Sakura nodded at that. 'So that's why they needed a new ship.'

Nami took another sip of her drink. "Then we met Sanji at the Baratie." she noticed Sakura's confused look. "That's a restaurant at sea. Sanji worked there at the time. The marines came by with a prisoner who Sanji fed which resulted in a fight between them. Then the prisoner's crew showed up and wanted to take over the Baratie because it would be the perfect disguise to lure in and trick other pirates. Everyone's gotta eat, you know?"

"The crew of the Baratie tried fighting them but it was Luffy who saved us all in the end." Sanji added and lit a cigarette.

Sakura nodded again and cowered slightly under the heavy atmosphere that hung over them. "Sounds like you've all been through a lot." She said quietly and turned to the swordsman who was standing beside her, eating his stew. She was reluctant at first, but asked for his story anyway. "What about you? How did you join?"

Zoro stopped his spoon midair and shifted his focus to her before shrugging. "I can't remember."

Luffy lifted his bowl in the air again. "Sanji!" he whined.

"Hai, hai." The cook snatched his captain's bowl with a sigh and went back to the stove to refill it. In the meantime Luffy turned to Sakura.

"I found Zoro tied to a pole," the rubber man began.

Sakura's eyes widened a fraction at that. "A pole?" she questioned and glanced at her lover who shrugged once again.

"He had saved a girl from being killed by a pet wolf and was punished for that. He were to stay tied to the pole for a month with no food and no water, but a man named Helmeppo broke his promise and wanted to execute him on the 12th day. Zoro said he'd join my crew if I could get his swords from the marine base, so I went to fetch them for him."

Sanji set Luffy's bowl back onto the table and heard him devour its contents in record time.

Nami turned back to the ninja and rested her elbow on top of the wooden surface with a challenging glare. "What's your story?"

Sakura knew she was trying to fish for information, but she wouldn't slip up that easily. "I'm from a place quite far from here." she began, carefully choosing her words. "I- My friends were always looking out for me and were always training to get stronger while I was too busy trying to get this guy to like me." a bitter laugh left her lips at that while Zoro's eyes shifted to her. "My friends both left our village to pursue their dreams of becoming stronger fighters, so I asked a very special woman to train me in the medical field because I thought that could be my way of looking after them once they came back. She then sent me to see Dr. Kureha, saying there were some things only she could teach me, and now I'm here."

The navigator eyed her suspiciously. "How did you meet Zoro?"

"I found him in the snow. He was hurt, so I brought him back to the cabin I was staying at and patched him up."

"Who is after you? And why?" Nami continued her interrogation.

"Oi," Zoro grumbled. While he wanted to hear the answer as much as the rest, he found the navigator's way of pursuing the matter rather dirty. "Give her some space."

Nami gaped as she stared at the swordsman with a disbelieving look in her eyes. Sakura glanced at Zoro as well, surprised he tried to defend her, but turned back to Nami a second after. "Kureha called him Dr. Vegapunk. As for why, I don't know." she lied.

The room fell silent.

Sakura fiddled nervously with her empty bowl. "I'm taking your silence as a bad thing." she stated quietly while shyly eyeing the pirates in the room.

A sigh left Sanji's lips. "I don't think anyone of us really know much about Vegapunk. He's a hell of a scientist from what I've heard."

"He used to work for the Marines," Nami said while leaning back in her chair. "he may still do."

"Wasn't he the one who invented seastone?" Usopp asked and cowered slightly when all eyes fell on him.

"What's that?" Sakura inquired.

The sniper turned to face the pinkette. "Basically a stone that holds the same power as the sea. It would cancel out any devil fruit user's powers."

Sakura raised a brow. "Then Luffy…"

"Luffy might not be able to beat him." Sanji finished for her and took another drag of his cigarette. "But don't worry. I will keep you safe~!"

Zoro huffed in annoyance while glaring hatefully at the cook. If anyone were to keep Sakura safe, it would be him. Sakura seemed to feel the dark energy that radiated from the swordsman and decided to accidentally bump into the male. His darkened eyes fell on her and she felt her insides twist in anticipation under his intense stare. If Sanji continued provoking him, Zoro would most likely take her right then and there just to let them know she was his.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Nami sighed while glancing out the doorway to her left. "If he's all high and mighty, he probably won't come get her himself. He'll probably send someone else to do it."

Chopper, whom had been silent during the whole meal turned to look at his newest friend. "Will you be alright, Sakura?" he asked worriedly from his seat in the corner, across from Usopp.

"I-" Sakura began but was cut off when Luffy pushed his chair back and stood up.

"We made a promise. We will keep Sakura safe and beat whoever comes after her."

Nami looked displeased. "I still don't understand why we had to be dragged into this mess."

"I am truly sorry for all of this," the pinkette stated apologetically.

Silence fell over them again until Nami turned back to look at the pink-haired girl with another challenging look in her eyes. "How did you get back onto the ship?"

An icy chill ran through Sakura's body. 'Shit!'

"I climbed."

Nami smirked. "There's not enough foothold on this ship, so how did you do it?"

Sakura kept her calm and glanced at Chopper for a second before turning her attention back to the navigator. "When opposed to a dangerous situation the human body provides something called adrenaline-"

"I know what adrenaline is." Nami spat.

"Then you should also know that people may be able to do the impossible during one of those moments." Sakura added calmly. She had slipped up again. This was not going according to plan.

"Tch," Nami rose from her seat, leaving her half-empty glass on the table and stomped over to the door. "I know you're hiding something, Sakura." she added venomously. "If that's even your real name."

And with that she was gone.

The pinkette let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She would have to be more careful around Nami since nothing seemed to go past the navigator of the crew.

"Goddamnit Luffy!" Sanji growled and grabbed a fistful of the back of his captain's shirt. "I told you to keep away from the pot!"

"Bu aam huungyu" Luffy whined with his mouth full of food.

Sakura shook her head with an amused smile playing on her lips. They sure were an interesting bunch of pirates.

* * *

After about a week of traveling, Sakura had managed to get some routines in with the pirates. Chopper and she busied themselves in the sick bay for the most part where he taught her things he had learned from both Hiluluk and Kureha. And while their stack of herbs and other medical supplies were limited, she found herself experimenting with what they had until she mastered the potions, balms and medicines Chopper taught her.

Chopper was a good teacher. He was unbelievable calm compared to her previous senseis and didn't mind repeating the steps while asking her for support to make sure she was following. He was always prepared to give her a helping hand even when she said she wanted to do it herself. He had praised her numerous of times for being a fast learner, which she had turned back around onto him, saying it was all because of him and his good way of teaching.

Sanji provided the crew with food and Sakura found herself loving every meal he created. The way he pampered her and Nami had bothered her in the beginning, but once she realized he did it mostly for himself -to have a reason to chat with either of the women on board, she had lowered her guard and allowed the delicious refreshments and snacks to pile in.

Usopp's leg was still bandaged, and while he impatiently waited for his broken leg to heal, he spent his waken time working on the weapon he had promised Nami. He had come up with an idea to embrace the navigator's keen sense of climate change and was currently working on a staff he had named The Clima Tact.

Nami spent most of her days up on deck, either sunbathing or making sure they were keeping course. They were heading to a place called Alabasta, a kingdom located on Sandy Island. It would take the pirates another week and a half before reaching their next stop according to Nami's calculations. As long as they didn't run into any trouble on their way, that is.

Zoro kept himself distant for the most part, either sleeping against the mast or in the crows nest. He also practiced with his swords a lot and busied himself with exercise to get the time to pass faster. His body was fully healed, but his amnesia held onto him like the claws of a predator around their prey.

Whenever Chopper wasn't occupied in the sick bay, he and Luffy bonded more and more. The reindeer had taken an extra liking to the rubber man and often ran around deck either chasing or being chased by the captain. During his free time, the captain tried sneaking into the kitchen to steal food which usually resulted in a fight between him and the cook. He also spent a lot of time on the kitchen's roof where he had a nice, full view of the azure ocean stretching far out around them.

Compared to the busy days, the nights were often calm.

Sakura and Nami shared a room with one queen-sized bed, a small dresser and an uncomfortable sofa perched up near the door. The two women had argued a lot during the first night which had resulted in Nami claiming the bed as hers which forced Sakura to sleep on the couch. The pinkette had gone with it to keep the redhead from lashing out on her more.

Chopper shared a room with the other four males who took turns keeping watch at night. Since they were one bed short, they had come up with a circle-system to switch beds every night so no one had to sleep on the uncomfortable and smelling recliner more than necessary.

* * *

Sakura laid tucked in a blanket on the old couch, listening to the steady breathing of her sleeping roommate while staring up at the wooden ceiling. Being stuck on a ship for days was making her frustrated. Life out on the sea was not her thing. She needed to be free, needed to be able to move and do things without being hindered by something so dumb as limited space. How the rest of the occupants on the ship managed to get through it was a mystery to her.

Her mind went to Zoro and their current relationship status. He had distanced himself from her since they boarded the ship. She hadn't voiced her feelings to him about that, but it bothered her. She had also noticed early on that he didn't like openly showing her affection, and while she could understand that it was probably because it made him feel exposed, it made her sad and question what he actually felt for her. There was always someone around who kept them from talking or spending alone time together, and the longer they stayed apart, the more she realized she needed him.

A sigh left her lips while she shifted onto her side. She knew he was having the night-shift tonight. It was late and most -if not all of, the crew were probably already asleep. She closed her eyes and tried to relax while listening to the quiet clucking of water against the sides of the ship.

A couple of minutes passed before she sighed again and sat up. Her bare legs hung over the seats of the couch, her toes gently touching the cool floor. 'Maybe I should try to talk to him,' she thought to herself and stretched her arm out toward the arm-rest where she had left her pants. She tugged them on quickly and snatched her blanket into her hand before carefully tiptoeing out of the room so she would not wake Nami.

She paused midway on her way to the deck as doubt suddenly washed over her. 'What if he'll get angry…' She bit her lip nervously out of habit and went to walk back into the bedroom. 'What would make him happy?' an inner voice questioned which made her stop once more. She stared at the wall for a few moments before smirking. "Sake."

The deck outside was dark. She tilted her head back to look up at the crow's nest where Zoro was currently seated. Armed with half a bottle of sake, the rest was coursing through her system as a way of putting her nerves at ease, she silently climbed up the rope ladder and pushed herself over the edge of the nest only to find the green-haired swordsman leaning against the wooden railing, arms crossed over his chest and head lightly tipped forward.

"Of course he's sleeping," she muttered to herself and shook her head in disbelief. "Zoro?"

No reply.

"Zoro." she tried, a little louder this time.

Still no reply.

She smirked to herself and placed the bottle and the blanket on the nest's floor before crawling over to where he was sleeping.

Her lips found their way to his as she kissed him, slowly and tenderly.

"O-oi!" he started once he opened his eyes, obviously surprised someone was suddenly hovering slightly over his previously relaxed form. "What are you doing?" wary eyes watched the pink-haired woman and he stiffened slightly, clearly uncomfortable by her sudden approximation.

The smell of sake whiffed from her smug lips as she eyed him, a mischievous glint flickering in her eyes.

He attempted to move, but she pressed herself against him, preventing him from leaving, and started circling her index-finger over his clothed chest. He swallowed hard, his throat closing in on him and suddenly going very dry.

Her index and middle-finger trailed up his chest as if they were walking up a clothed mountain. He froze and licked his lips nervously as he eyed the woman through his thick lashes. His pulse quickened and he swallowed yet again when her fingers finally made it to the collar of his shirt.

She pressed herself more fully against his side, her breath leaving her lips in slow and quiet gasps as she pulled her leg over his thighs to rest comfortably over them, locking him in between hers.

"O-oi," he tried again and felt her fingers slowly circle over his collarbone, up his throat before she ended up cupping his neck in her hand. His skin tingled delightfully under her touch. Her thumb brushed every so lightly over his jawline while she tilted his head to face hers.

She ran her thumb over his parted lips, her eyes hazily watching as he closed them beneath her touch.

Shifting a little she soon had herself straddling his hips and his eyes widened in alarm. Black eyes expanded in both uncertainty and excitement as it dawned on him what she was doing.

Her small hands grasped around the lower part of his head, fingers gently massaging the back of his skull while her thumbs gave a soft pressure to his temples. He found himself giving into the temptation to close his eyes and let his head fall back to rest against the wooden railing of the nest.

Warm lips were suddenly nibbling on his exposed throat and his hands flew up to grasp around her wrists in a death-like hold. Black eyes clashed with green and she relaxed in his grip, settling herself down on his thighs while meeting his stare full on.

"What are you doing, witch?" he questioned and hissed through clenched teeth as she took that moment to grind herself against his crotch.

Emerald eyes glittered in mirth as they took in the troubled face of the swordsman.

He looked puzzled, indecisive, confused, curious and excited all at once which made the ninja smirk as she let her tongue escape through her lips to moisten them. His gaze fell to her lips immediately and she felt him stiffen beneath her. Quirking an eyebrow she started leaning into him again. Her hips rocked over his hardening crotch a second time and she felt him loosen his hold on her wrists.

He could have easily pushed her off of him, had he wanted to. But parts of him were intrigued and wanted to know what she would do next. This witch, as he would call her, managed to trigger something deep inside of him. Her touch would start a raging wildfire deep in his core and the intensity of it scared him yet lured him in to want to explore it. He wanted to explore her.

Her right hand came sliding up his left arm, the touch burning his cool skin, and he suddenly realized he was grasping onto her hip, leading her in a steady pace as she ground against him. His eyes widened a fraction and he found her smirking at him, a look of victory glinting in those emerald orbs of hers.

She closed the distance between them. One hand tugged at his hair as she pressed her lips against his. The hand in his hair pulled firmly yet gently at his green tuft and he allowed her to angle his head as she seemed fit. Her tongue ran over his lips, silently asking for access which he gave a heartbeat later.

Their tongues danced sensually together, each exploring the other in a messy kiss before she unhurriedly pulled away. A trace of sake lingered on his lips and he welcomed the taste.

"What are you doing to me?" he asked throatily, his eyes remaining closed while he felt one of her hands wander down his chest until it was situated in between their aroused sexes.

She stroked him. The palm of her hand slid up and down his hardened shaft, earning her a soft moan from the swordsman. Her fingers circled around his thick member, the only thing in between his sensitive skin and her hand being the fabric of his green trousers, and she continued pumping it. She felt his hands slide from her hips and down to her ass where he let one hand continue to slide in between her spread legs.

"I could ask you the same thing," she retorted huskily and watched a grin form on his slightly swollen lips. The moment was short-lived though as she suddenly felt him brush a finger over her sensitive clitoris and her eyes closed instantly. Warmth started spreading from where he had touched her, igniting a need for more and she fell against him, her chest colliding with his. "Shit."

He chuckled at that and continued stroking her soft bundle of nerves with his thumb. "That was too easy, Sakura. I would have thought it'd take more than that to have you purring."

She moaned quietly against his neck. Her lips brushed against his delicate skin in a feather-light touch while she rocked her hips to meet his ministrations in between her legs.

"What happened to self-control?" he continued as his other hand pressed her down onto his lap again and he twisted his hips upward, making her shiver in pleasure from the sudden pressure caused by his hard-on.

She nibbled on his neck after that. Her teeth biting down on the soft skin right above his jugular while he lifted her hips up and started tugging down her pants. She helped him slide them off by leaning onto one knee and settled herself above his crotch again once the piece of clothing was removed.

Slick fingers made their way up her bent leg and over her thigh to finish their exploration by resting in between her legs. The panties she wore were pulled to the side and he slid one finger in between her moist folds.

"So wet already." he stated in satisfaction and ran a finger along her slit before burying the finger in her cave. Her walls closed in on the intruding digit and she moaned delightfully into the crook of his neck while her fingers dug into his shoulder.

He pulled it out slowly only to thrust it in again, adding a second one in the process. She pressed her lips against his in a frenzy as he continued fucking her with his fingers. Her breathing came out in ragged breaths and as she felt him bend his fingertips to reach for that sweet spot slightly curved up in her wet cave, she let her head fall back while an enticing moan left her lips. The white-hot pleasure coursed through her and she felt her orgasm build up deep down in her stomach.

"That's the spot," she yelped and felt him repeat the wiggling of his fingers against her spot and gently added more pressure by rubbing his thumb against her now oversensitive clit. Her orgasm built up quickly after that before soaring through her lithe frame.

"Oh shit," he groaned as her inner walls clamped down on his fingers, her insides throbbing around his digits as she came undone with a hoarse moan. His thumb glided over her hypersensitive clitoris again and she shuddered on top of him.

Her breathing came in shallow breaths, fanning over his collarbone as she cuddled up against him. His finger slipped out of her wet vulva and he stroked her thigh gently, giving her time to come down from her high. Her forehead rested against his shoulder while she panted heavily.

She kissed him lazily before sliding off of his lap only to take a seat next to him.

"Sakura," he murmured and ran his fingers through her messy pink hair.

She fought back a smile as she nuzzled into his touch. "Self control, Zoro. Self-con-trol."

He looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head and crossed his arms over his chest. "Tch!"

She peeked at him through her lashes and grinned at the sour frown set on his features. Oh how she loved teasing him.

"That was mean." he grumbled as he rose onto his knees and crawled over to the other side of the nest. After plucking up the half-empty bottle of sake Sakura had obviously been enjoying, he settled down cross-legged and leaned back against the railing. Taking a swig of the strong liquid he then closed his eyes, willing himself to get rid of his problem without touching it. "Witch…"

A captivating giggle escaped the witch's lips and he fought hard not to smile at how lovely it sounded. Opening an eye to steal a gaze at the wonderful woman he had come across, he found her watching him intently. Her eyes followed his hand as he brought the bottle to his lips again. Closing his eyes and taking another mouthful of its content, he then heard her shift. The soft patting of her hands and knees reached his ears next and when he opened his eyes again she was sitting in front of him, clad in nothing but the sweater he never bothered to take off of her earlier and her soaked underwear.

He offered her the bottle but she declined with a shake of her head and sat down next to him instead. He stiffened, clearly going on the defensive.

"More teasing?" he probed and looked at her from the corner of his eyes.

The pink haired woman laughed at that, a wide grin spreading over her lips as her eyes quirked up in mirth. "It was funny though. You have to admit to that." she retorted gleefully.

He huffed at that. He felt her shift by his side and one of her hands started snaking up underneath his shirt where she lovingly traced her fingers over his warm skin.

"Sakura," he warned. "Don't start something you don't plan to finish."

"I'm sorry." she smiled and leaned into him.

"No you're not," he retorted darkly and stopped the hand she had placed on his now semi-hard member. "I mean it."

Black eyes locked with green ones and she sighed deeply before changing her position, ending up sitting on her folded legs as they were tucked underneath her butt. Rising onto her knees she then left a chaste kiss to his lips. "Lie down." she ordered.

He raised a delicate eyebrow while looking at the petite woman sitting next to him. "No."

"Damn it Zoro, stop being so stubborn." her voice was far from amused and she placed one hand on his shoulder, pressing on it lightly to get her point through.

"Tch… witch." he muttered but did as he was told.

The crows nest's floor was surprisingly warm, he noted as he tried getting comfortable. A sweater fell over his face, shielding his view and he realized it was the same one Sakura had been wearing moments ago.

"Oi." he felt her tugging his pants and underwear off, exposing him to her and when he was about to snag her shirt off of his face, he heard her telling him not to. Deciding to play along for once, he did as he was told.

While smirking triumphantly, Sakura grazed his toned legs with her hands while seating herself in between them. His dick twitched as she went higher and higher and without warning, she licked her way up from the base of his shaft all the way to the tip, leaving a trail of saliva over his thick member.

"Jesus!" he hissed, his voice slightly muffled by the sweater resting on top of his face.

"This won't do." she stated and leaned over him. Stretching a hand out toward his face, she folded the lower part of the sweater up so it only covered his eyes. "Much better." she added and ran her tongue over his lips before sucking his bottom lip in between hers.

He responded to her ministrations by giving a pleasant hum when she stroked him. The palm of her hand massaged his length while she slowly pumped it with a twisting motion of her wrist. His hand found it's way to her hair and he grabbed onto it; holding her in place as he hungrily started kissing her.

The grip around her hair loosened when she finally decided to leave his lips and instead his hand slid down her naked frame. His fingers brushed over her hardened nipples as he caressed her toned body. She disappeared from his reach and he felt anticipation spring to life within him, and when the warmth of her mouth wrapped itself around his throbbing length he nearly lost every ounce of self-control he had left.

"Shit!" he cried out in pleasure and used his elbows to prop himself up into a seated position. The sweater fell from his face and landed in a pile on the floor. He paid it no mind. His full focus was on the pink-haired witch in between his legs whom were sucking his cock in the most sensual way he had ever seen.

Her green eyes gazed up into his, her long lashes cast shadows down on her upper cheeks. Her lips were wrapped tightly around his arousal; sliding up and down his shaft while she had a steady grip around the base of it where she milked his hard muscle. His lips parted at the sight and he couldn't help but entwine his fingers in her unruly locks which tickled his thighs every time she lowered her head.

"Sakura," he purred and felt the vibrations course through his member as she tried to reply while her mouth was completely stuffed by his size. He closed his eyes for a second, enjoying every moment of the attention given to him and heard her slide her underwear off.

She released his throbbing length with a pop before attacking his still parted lips with her own. His arms encircled her waist and he felt the warmth radiating from her wet sex as she positioned herself above him. Laying down onto the floor again, he gave her full control over what would happen next. She did seem to enjoy being in charge. And if he had to admit: he did actually enjoy it too.

A moan left her lips as she lowered herself onto his length and she rested her hands on top of his chest to steady herself while she accumulated to his thicker size. Lifting her hips a little, she groaned in contentment as she lowered herself onto him again - feeling how he filled her to the brim and how her inner walls stretched around him.

His fingers dug almost painfully into her thighs. This was too much. It felt too good. 'Self control, Zoro. Self-con-trol.' her voice echoed in his mind and he tried, so very hard, to not flip them over so he could ravage her right then and there.

Her walls pulsated around him. She had picked up her pace and was riding him in a steady rhythm. One hand was placed near her front and he knew she was touching herself - knew she was pleasing herself and it disappointed him while excited him all at once. His name left her lips in a seductive wail and he snapped. His arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her down flat to rest on top of his chest. Bending his legs; he used his feet for support and started thrusting his member up and into her wet folds. She nearly screamed as he filled her up completely and she bit down on his shoulder to muffle her cries of pleasure when he screwed her so roughly she couldn't think straight.

Her skin was on fire. Her insides burned and that white-hot feeling of pure nerve-racking ecstasy rippled through her body with such force she swore she could hear him yell out in pain -or was it pleasure, when she finally came undone all around him.

She felt him twitch inside of her while his body jerked underneath her as he too reached his high. When spilling his seed into her womb he heard her moan his name again.

Minutes passed. Neither made any attempt to move. The only thing heard was their ragged breaths and soft breezes of the wind. Zoro's arms were wrapped around Sakura's waist and he drew lazy circular patterns over her lower back while she had her fingers tangled in his hair.

"I missed you," she told him quietly and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck.

"I am here now." he replied in the same quiet tone and reached for the blanket she had brought with her.

She gave him a light peck on the neck while feeling the blanket fall over her body. Sakura closed her eyes and fell asleep soon after.

Zoro laid on his back and gazed up at the star filled sky above him and his lover, completely unaware of the set of blue eyes that were glaring heatedly at the crows nest. The glow from a cigarette brightened as its owner took another drag of the cancer stick before a soft cloud of smoke escaped their lips and dissolved into nothing.

"Hurt her and I'll kill you, shitty marimo."

* * *

**A/N:** I hate this chapter. I find it boring and too informative, so I tried saving it with a sex-scene.  
This story took an unexpected turn when I had Sakura join the Strawhats. My original plan was to not let them meet until the very end of the story, so now I'm trying to figure out what to do and write next. **Any ideas or thoughts are more than welcome** because I'm kinda stuck at the moment. So, please share what you might want to see happening and I'll take it into consideration and will do my best to sort this mess out.  
Sorry for providing you with this awful chapter and thanks for reading. ~


	10. 10 - Something About Us

**Chapter 10  
Something About us  
**(Daft Punk)

* * *

Adrenalin was fueling his whole body while a pair of golden eyes were giving him a bored stare. With swords in both his hands and one clenched in between his teeth, he charged at the man with the intent to kill. The burgundy clothed man with the golden eyes avoided his attack with ease and plunged a small dagger into his chest. The pain from the impact was almost unbearable, yet he refused to give up. The difference in their strength had been clear from the beginning, but he had not wanted to give up on the opportunity to fight the man.

"Do you wish to have this go through your heart? Why don't you step back?" the golden eyed male questioned.

"I don't know. I'm not sure myself. But if I were to take even one step back, I believe that all those important oaths, promises and many other deals until now will go to waste and I will never be able to stand before you, ever again."

"Yes, and that's called _losing_."

"That's why I can't step back."

"Even if it means death?" the man questioned.

"Death may be better!"

The dagger was pulled from his chest while the pale man took a step back. "Kid, state your name."

"Roronoa Zoro!"

"I'll remember that! It's been a while since I've seen such strong will. As a reward, a gesture to a fellow swordsman, I will wield this _Black Sword_, the most powerful sword in the world, to end your life." the man said while unsheathing a large sword from his back.

"I appreciate your offer." he stated calmly. '_This is my chance. World's number one… or death?' _he asked himself and started swinging his own swords while the other male charged at him. "Santoryu Ogi: Sanzen-Sekai!"

The golden eyed male's sword slashed across his chest before he had the time to finish his own technique and he stumbled forward while the swords in his hands shattered to pieces.

'_I lost. Losing was something I never imagined possible.'_ he calmly sheathed the white katana he had held with his teeth. '_So this is what it is to possess the greatest power in the world?'_

He got to his feet and turned to face his opponent.

"What now?" the other male questioned in irritation.

"Attacking from behind is a shameless act among swordsmen."

"Well said." his opponent grinned and readied himself to attack again.

He felt the blade slash through his chest, tearing through the muscles and tissues hidden beneath his skin. He refused to scream as the agonizing pain took over his senses and darkness fell over him soon after.

* * *

Zoro gasped for air and opened his eyes only to be met by darkness. His right hand shot to his chest, his fingers brushing against something warm and soft resting on top of his ribcage in the process. As he felt around, he realized it was hair and someone's face.

"Zoro?" Sakura lifted her head to look at the man she was currently using as a pillow. Her voice was low and raspy. "What happened?"

"Nothing. Go back to sleep." he told her as he pushed himself up to a sitting position.

The pinkette sat up as well and eyed him worriedly. "Nightmare?"

He shook his head no and reached for his pants. "Memory."

She tugged the blanket closer around her body and glanced around the crow's nest in search of her own clothing.

"Was it bad?" she questioned and watched as he stood up and started buttoning his pants.

He stilled his movement and eyed her for a moment. "I remember how I got this wound." he replied while dragging a finger over the long scar adorning his chest. "And I need to become stronger if I am to surpass him."

Sakura found her pants and tugged them on quickly. "Who?"

A smirk appeared on his lips. "Dracule Mihawk. The greatest swordsman in the world, until I beat him."

Sakura gaped. "You've fought him already and he let you live?"

He hummed and sat down again with his back resting against the railing. "I guess I was lucky."

"Do you remember anything else?" she inquired and felt herself get pulled down onto his lap.

"No." Zoro wrapped his arms around the ninja and cradled her against his chest while she made herself comfortable in between his legs. "But I'm sure it will come back one day. Now sleep. I'll keep watch."

She pulled the blanket up over their legs and leaned further into him, enjoying the warmth he was providing.

Zoro closed his eyes and thought back to his newfound memory. The technique he had used had failed. He had left himself open when all three swords were aligned in the same direction, and that was why Mihawk had been able to slash him as easily as he had. In order to get the technique to work, he would have to swing his swords faster or make some changes.

He shivered when Sakura started dragging her nails lazily over his bare arms, the action causing goosebumps to emit on his skin.

"Sakura,"

"Hm?" she hummed quietly, ready to fall asleep at any second.

Was now the right time to ask her about personal matters?

"How did you get your scars?"

He waited patiently for her to reply and noticed her hands slowing their movement over his arms.

"From training and battles." she replied tiredly.

Zoro glanced down at the woman in his lap. '_Battles?'_

"What sort of battles?" he inquired quietly and felt her lean further into him.

"Spars," she replied almost incoherently. "…and the exam. I… couldn't heal myself back then."

His brows furrowed in confusion. "What exam?"

Silence.

"What exam, Sakura?" he repeated and heard her let out a long sigh.

"It… doesn't matter." a yawn left her lips. "I didn't pass it anyway." she mumbled and leaned her head to the side while pulling the blanket further up to cover their arms.

Zoro glanced down at the pinkette again. She was asleep. He leaned his head against the railing once more and let his eyes roam the parts of the ocean he could see over the edge of the crow's nest. The sun would soon rise over the horizon. He could already see the dark night-sky turning a couple of shades brighter far away in the distance.

His suspicions about the pinkette had just been confirmed. She was no ordinary doctor-to-be. She was hiding parts of her past and her lifestyle to him. Were spars and exams the reason she had managed to easily pin the old hag to the wall back at the castle? Was that the reason she had been able to place herself in between Sanji and himself when he had found them hugging each other as well? Was this the reason she carried those odd-looking weapons with her? The more he learned about her, the more questions he realized he had.

He would get to the bottom of it one way or another. Of that, he was sure.

* * *

"Where did you sleep last night?" Nami asked the pinkette once the two women were seated around the kitchen table.

Sanji, who had made tea for the two women on board, and who was currently walking over to the table with a tray holding their cups and steamy tea, glanced at the pinkette by the sound of Nami's question.

"What do you mean?" Sakura retorted and took a bite of her toast while glancing at the navigator.

Nami rolled her eyes. "I heard you leave last night and you were still gone when I woke up. So, where did you go?"

"I-"

"She kept me company in the crow's nest." Zoro said the moment he entered the kitchen.

Sanji shot the swordsman a look of annoyance, but kept quiet.

Sakura nodded once. "The view up there is beautiful." she murmured while glancing at Zoro.

"Tch. It's not like you could see much in the darkness." Nami huffed before reaching for her cup of tea.

Zoro smirked while taking the seat across from Sakura.

Sanji took that moment to join in on the conversation while walking back to the sink with the empty tray. "While the crow's nest is high enough for stargazing and secluded enough for privacy, I wouldn't say no to your company either, Sakura-chwan~!"

Sakura stiffened, '_Did he hear us?'. _She kicked Zoro's shin when noticing the murderous look he was giving the cook and shook her head discreetly, silently telling him to let it go once he turned to glare at her.

"I'm sure no one would want to keep you company, ero-cook." Zoro taunted and received another kick from the pinkette.

"What was that, worthless swordsman?!" Sanji growled while turning to face the first mate of the crew.

"I said-"

"Sanji! Gimme, gimme, gimme food NOW!" Luffy yelled as he sprinted into the kitchen and took the seat next to Zoro, completely oblivious to the tension between the two rivals.

Chopper and Usopp entered soon after.

"Good morning," Chopper muttered tiredly.

"Sanji!" Luffy whined as his stomach made a growling sound.

Sakura grabbed her cup and her plate with the half-eaten toast and rose from her seat while motioning for Usopp to sit down.

"Ah-hah-hah," he laughed nervously while slowly making his way to the empty seat and accidentally bumped into Nami when she was taking another sip of her warm drink.

"What the hell?!" she yelled and turned to glare at the sniper who threw his hands up in defense. "Watch it, Usopp!"

"S-s-sorry, Nami!" he wailed apologetically.

Chopper rushed to the navigator's side. "Are you okay? Did you get burned? I'll get some cooling lotion." he squealed in a panicked voice.

Nami waved him off with her hand and offered a small smile. "I'm fine, Chopper-kun." she then turned to Usopp with a menacing glare. "That'll be 2000 beri for ruining my shirt. Pay up!"

Usopp leaned as far away from Nami as he could. "I-I-I don't have that kind of money."

Nami narrowed her eyes. "Fine. I'll add it to your debt."

"I don't have a debt with you!" he stated in a high-pitched voice.

"You do now." she replied smugly. "2000 beri with a 25% interest."

Usopp paled. "That's unfair. It was an accident!"

"Want me to go higher on the interest?" Nami challenged.

Usopp shook his head no, which put an evil smirk on Nami's features. She pulled her shirt off, her bikini-clad chest bouncing slightly in the process, and threw the clothing out of the kitchen. Sanji quickly noodle-danced his way over to the navigator with hearts in his eyes.

"Nami-swan, my love~! You look astonishing as usual! May I refill your cup? Can I get you anything else~?"

Nami smirked and wiggled her index finger, motioning for him to come closer. She leaned forward, her cheek brushing against his while she purred seductively in his ear. "I'd like something warm and thick with extra… cream."

Sanji nodded fervently, a big grin evident on his lips as he listened to her request.

"Sanji!" Luffy whined again "If you don't feed me, I'll go get food myself."

"Can't you see I'm busy, asshole?!" Sanji growled before realizing the danger of letting Luffy loose in the kitchen. "Ladies comes first." he added and sent Sakura a promising look before shifting his focus back to Luffy. "Just wait a second."

The captain slammed his head down onto the table with a frustrated groan. Sakura walked behind Luffy and ended up standing next to Zoro.

"What?" he questioned sourly. Sanji's comment had not gone unnoticed by him.

Sakura arched a brow and set her cup and plate down on the table in front of him. "Move." she ordered and received a look of displeasure from the swordsman. "Please?"

"Tch, you gave up your seat, woman." he didn't take orders. Especially not in front of his crew mates. And definitely not when he was in a foul mood.

"Fine." she shrugged and plopped down on his lap with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Black eyes widened a fraction before a scowl made itself visible on his features. She wouldn't dare tease him with everyone present. …or would she? Maybe she wouldn't if he beat her to it.

Nami glared at the couple. "Seriously, what's up with you two?"

Both Zoro and Sakura turned to face the navigator. "Nothing." they said in unison.

Sakura took another bite of her toast. Zoro slid one hand up the pinkette's thigh but stopped abruptly when she elbowed him in the chest.

"This toast was really good, Sanji-kun." she complimented and heard the male behind her huff irritably.

"Only the best for you, Sakura-chwan~!" Sanji beamed cheerfully as he made his way to the table again with Nami's hot chocolate with extra cream. He then went back to the stove and continued cooking breakfast for the men.

* * *

Usopp sat on the fold-down bed in the infirmary. Chopper stood before the male with a pair of scissors in his small, furry hands, ready to remove the bandages from the sniper's leg.

"Will this hurt?" Usopp asked reluctantly, his big black eyes observing the small reindeer.

"No." Chopper glanced at Sakura who was busy sorting through some of the infirmary's equipment. "Sakura, could you hold him down, please?"

"W-what? Why?" Usopp panicked and tried jumping down from the fold-down bed, but Chopper stood his ground and refused to let the long-nosed male leave. "H-h-help!?"

"Sakura!" the reindeer's voice was hard and held a hint of authority.

The pinkette rushed to his side and placed her hands atop of Usopp's shoulders in an attempt to keep him down.

"Hold still." Chopper ordered, but was kicked across the room by the sniper's good leg and went crashing into one of the shelves while Sakura cried out his name. Numerous bottles of potions shattered once they connected with the floor. Sakura winced at the sound of it. All her work these past couple of days were ruined. Usopp took that moment of distractions to jump down from the bed and bolted for the door as fast as his broken leg would carry him.

Chopper let out a frustrated roar before transforming himself to his bigger, more human-like form which neither of the two had seen before. Sakura fell to the floor in shock.

"W-w-what the hell?! Who are you?!"

"Don't let him escape!" Chopper ordered before taking three long strides to block the entrance to the sick bay with his larger body since Sakura seemed unable to move.

Usopp yelped in fear and threw his hands up to shield himself from the monster while letting out another panicked screech.

Footsteps boomed over their heads as someone was running over the deck, and a couple of seconds later, both Sanji and Zoro appeared behind Chopper. Sanji kicked at Chopper's back and sent him flying through the small infirmary.

"What's going on down here?" Zoro questioned while Sanji pointed an accusing finger at the tanuki.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing to my sweet Sakura-chwan?!" Sanji demanded before crouching down next to the ninja whom eyed the doctor warily.

Zoro leaned against the doorway, intentionally blocking the exit when Usopp made another attempt at running for it with his still bandaged leg. "Don't even think about it." his voice was low and dangerous which caused Usopp to take a slow step back.

"Oi! Bastard!" Sanji growled while making his way over to where Chopper was laying face down on the floor.

"H-h-he just transformed," Usopp stammered.

"What?" Sanji retorted and spared the curly-haired male a glance. "This is Chopper?"

Sakura crawled over to the two and poked at the furry doctor's arm. "How is this possible?" she questioned in awe.

"Must be a devil fruit user." Sanji commented and stuck his hands down his pockets. "Oh, now that I think about it, this would be the third form he's able to take. Oi, Chopper! Sorry for kicking you."

Sakura placed her hands on Chopper's shoulders and assisted him in sitting up. Once he was seated, he glared at Sanji.

"What the hell was that for, asshole?!"

"I thought you were hurting Sakura-chwan. I can't stand idiots who don't treat ladies with respect." Sanji stated matter-of-factly and sent a Zoro a look which spoke more than a thousand words. However, the swordsman either ignored the blonde or didn't care enough to comment on it.

Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes and helped Chopper's bigger form to stand up. She glanced at Zoro who looked bored, and when he suddenly yawned, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. At least he could offer to help. Or was that too much to ask for?

"If that's all, I'll just head back to the deck." he mumbled and left his previously relaxed spot by the doorway.

Sanji smirked. This would be the perfect opportunity for him to assist Sakura. Perhaps even in more ways than one. A blush appeared on his cheeks by the thought of it and he smiled deviously to himself.

"Ero-cook," Zoro's voice called from the hall, which made a vein pop above the blonde's eye. "Nami's asking for you."

It was a lie, one he hoped would steer the perverts thoughts away from _his_ Sakura. While they hadn't made anything official yet, he still saw her as his and his alone. And while he trusted her not to do anything stupid, he did not trust the cook. Perhaps he should stay with her to make sure Sanji didn't come back.

"Mellorine!" Sanji shouted loudly and hurried out of the infirmary, leaving Sakura and Chopper alone with Usopp once more.

Chopper pointed at the fold-down bed while giving Usopp a death-glare he could not run from. Usopp complied silently and sat down once again, but started moving around restlessly the moment the doctor brought out the scissors.

"Zoro," Sakura said suddenly. She knew he was still in the hall. She could feel his presence even though he did not possess chakra. "Come here for a second."

He appeared in the doorway moments later, bearing a stoic expression on his face.

"Could you help me hold him down?" she asked softly.

He entered the room fully and pinned the sniper down with a heavy gaze. "He won't move an inch."

Usopp gulped and sat completely still with tears and snot streaming down his face while Chopper cut open the bandages and removed them from his leg. The doctor did a quick check-up to make sure the bone was healed completely. Once he felt he was done, he took a step back from his patient and returned to his small reindeer form.

"It's gone now, Usopp."

"The leg?!" the sniper cried out in distress and moved both hands to his thigh, fervently feeling around with shaky hands since he was too scared to take a look.

"The bandages, stupid." Zoro said with his deep, baritone voice.

Sakura glanced at the moss-headed man and bit her lip. He eyed her as well while quirking a brow in question to what she was thinking.

"Chopper," Sakura started and swiftly wet her suddenly dry lips. The action did not go unnoticed by the swordsman. "Do you need me for anything else right now?"

The tanuki had moved to scribble something down in a journal he had left on the desk. He lifted a hand to signal he'd be with her in a second. Usopp took that moment to slide his feet down onto the wooden floor and took a couple of careful steps around the room to make sure his leg felt fine.

"Thank you, Chopper-kun! You really are a great doctor!" Usopp complimented.

Chopper stopped the movement of his pen and turned around with an overjoyed look on his face. "Praising me won't cheer me up, idiot!"

"Hai, hai." Usopp waved his hand in the air with a sigh and moved past Zoro.

Zoro kept his eyes on Sakura who was staring him down with a mischievous glint in her eyes. He loved how she managed to excite him with just one look.

"You can go too," Chopper told the pinkette. "I have stuff to do, so I'll be down here for a while."

Sakura nodded and went to leave when she suddenly realized the mess the infirmary was in. "I'll help you clean up."

Zoro narrowed his eyes at her words while Chopper looked up from the journal. "I'll take care of it." he assured her.

"It's okay. I don't mind." Sakura retorted while leaning down to pick up some rolls of bandages that had ended up on the floor, probably during chopper's transformation and the ruckus that followed.

"I'll take care of it." Chopper reassured again and offered her a smile.

"Okay," she nodded and left the rolls on the desk.

Zoro smirked when she walked past him and followed her out of the sick bay.

"So," she started, knowing Chopper could hear them. "Thanks for the help with Usopp."

"Hn,"

"I guess you'll be on deck, exercising now?" she glanced at him from the corner of her eye and felt her insides twist with excitement by the look he sent her.

"If that's what you'd call it." he replied with another smirk on his lips.

Once they were far enough from the sick bay, Zoro moved quickly and pinned the pinkette to the wall. She gasped as he held both her hands in one of his above her head while the other one cupped her cheek. She leaned into his touch while keeping her eyes locked with his before she let her eyes travel down his face and finally setting on his lips. She licked hers out of instinct and closed her eyes as he leaned in and captured her lips with his.

Zoro was a well built man with rock-hard muscles. He was big, aggressive, had a short temper -especially around the cook, and could often be described as cocky. But when Sakura was alone with him, she was often surprised by how incredibly gentle he was. She knew he would never force her to do anything she didn't truly want. He would never deliberately hurt her, and that was one of the reasons she loved him.

He used his thumb to lift her chin up and let the tip of his tongue glide over her lips slowly. She parted hers and shyly met his soft tongue while he loosened his grip around her wrists only to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her closer. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth before diving into her cavern with his tongue again, slowly and gently inviting hers to a passionate and sensual dance. He pulled away. His eyes were closed. His breathing, slightly ragged. He took a moment to caress her cheek with his thumb before leaning in again and kissing her once more.

Sakura was in heaven. Every fiber of her being was experiencing nothing but pure, pleasurable bliss. She melted under his touch, her knees buckling under the amount of desire he showered her with. She was _his_ and would never, ever dream of being with someone else when he treated her like this.

He moved to lift her up while she snaked her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, never breaking the kiss. She was too lost in him to notice him starting to walk down the hall to where the bedrooms were. The tip of his toes nudged the door to hers and Nami's room open and she suddenly found herself being lowered onto the mattress of Nami's bed. He climbed onto it as well, nudging her legs further apart with his hips while she brushed her fingers through his hair. A content groan left his lips. He loved it when she did that.

Sakura pulled away with a burning need for oxygen and felt Zoro trail tender butterfly kisses down her jaw and neck. She let one hand wander down his muscled back and arched into him when he found her sweet spot and started suckling on it. His hand glided from her thigh, over her waist and front until it came into contact with her breast. He kneaded it softly, hearing a quiet moan leave her lips and kissed his way up her throat until his lips found hers again.

The sound of footsteps made him pull away for a second, ears perking up to the sound. Sakura was too caught up in the moment to notice and pushed him back down, aligning her lips perfectly against his, but he pulled away yet again and removed himself from the bed. Sakura sat up straight with a pout. Seconds later, the door to the bedroom opened and Nami stepped into the room which made Sakura hurry up from the bed.

Nami paused with one hand on the door handle and stared at the two.

"What are you doing?" she questioned with a hint of aggravation in her voice.

"Uh," Sakura blinked, unable to come up with an excuse for Zoro's presence.

"I was just giving Sakura her blanket back. She left it in the crow's nest this morning." Zoro retorted lazily and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pants.

Nami glared at him. "Is that so?" her eyes then narrowed in suspicion. "Where is it then?"

Zoro glanced at the couch, noticing the absence of Sakura's blanket.

"It's uh-"

"It's in the laundry." Sakura replied a little too fast to be believable.

Nami scowled. "Sure."

The redhead moved to the dresser and pulled one of the drawers out. Clothes in various colors and styles were nearly spilling over the edge as she rummaged through her things. "There's a storm coming in from north-west. We should be experiencing some tumult, but it'll most likely pass before dinner. Maybe you two could do something useful and help the others prepare."

It was more of an order than a request. Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. While she respected Nami's navigator skills and sense of climate changes, she did not like being ordered around by the redhead.

Zoro nodded and silently went to the door. He gave Sakura one last look before heading to the deck. Sakura sat back down on the bed and crossed one leg over the other. Nami watched her from the corner of her eye, but said nothing. The pinkette looked down at her hands for a second, inspecting her nails which she felt needed a trim.

"How did you end up at Drum Island?"

Nami pulled out a deep-blue sweater and tugged it over her head. "We got off course." she stated solemnly. "I'm not really sure how. Zoro was on the night shift, but I'm guessing he fell asleep." she gave herself a quick once-over to make sure she looked perfect. "It wouldn't be the first time." she muttered under her breath.

A lopsided smile appeared on the pinkette's lips at that. She could definitely see that happening. She had witnessed the same thing the night before.

"I don't know how he managed to sleep through the cold, but then again, he's pretty difficult to wake up once he's asleep."

Sakura nodded. She had noticed that as well.

"We steered into the reefs. The hull of the Going Merry broke. The Marines had been tailing us for some time, but we were sure we had lost them. They attacked, and with the sinking ship, the only way for us to survive was to swim to the island." Nami sat down on the bed as well with a sad look on her face. "Luffy can't swim because of his Devil Fruit powers, so Zoro tried rescuing him. I think he felt responsible or as if it was his duty as the first mate. There's no crew without a captain, you know?"

Sakura nodded.

"Anyway, Zoro let go of Luffy when they started attacking with their cannons, but Sanji managed to get him ashore." she paused for a moment, her face looking troubled by the memory.

"We lost Zoro after that. I don't know what happened, but it couldn't be good because he was all torn up once he did get ashore. We thought we were safe, but there was another platoon on the island and they wasted no time to attack." a sigh left the redhead's lips. "Usopp and I are pretty weak compared to the other three," she looked at Sakura. "I'm sure you'd fit well in with us two."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. She was not weak.

"Anyway, we went into hiding which is something I'm not proud of. Usopp's a sniper and kept attacking the Marines from a distance with his slingshot. Luffy was unconscious at the time which meant those two idiots had to do everything themselves. I snuck away to try and get help and ran into this guy with a sleigh. He offered us a ride to the village, and when I came back to Usopp, we realized Zoro was gone. Sanji flung Luffy over his shoulder and we left. Seeing the state we were in, the guy told us he'd take us to that old woman's castle instead. As for Zoro's story, you probably know it better than I do."

Sakura glanced down at her hands again. Being a pirate seemed to be so tough. "Why were the Marines after you in the first place?"

Nami scowled again. "We're _pirates_ and Luffy's bounty isn't exactly helping us keep a low profile. There will always be people trying to get his head one way or another, whether it's the Marines, other pirates or bounty hunters."

It made sense. '_They're almost like missing-nins, but kind ones.' _Sakura thought. Nami's voice brought Sakura out of her thoughts.

"Zoro's been acting weird since he showed up with you."

Sakura felt Nami's eyes on her, but decided not to acknowledge it. "How so?"

Nami leaned backwards and laid down on top of her covers with a sigh. "He used to be all broody and didn't really interact much with us. He's a loner, I guess, or maybe it's a swordsman-thing. They need to be balanced and what not and therefore interacting with people would disrupt their inner peace. Whenever he wasn't sleeping or exercising he was usually found on deck with a bottle of sake. I think he was trying to drown the loss of Kuina."

Sakura turned to look at Nami who had her eyes closed. "Kuina?"

"She was an old friend and rival. From what I've managed to get out of him during his drunken state is that she was stronger than him and shared his dream of becoming the greatest swordsman. She died when they were kids and he received her old katana as a memory or reminder of their promise to reach the top, I think. It's the white one by the way. He's almost as possessive of it as I am with money." the redhead laughed bitterly and glanced at Sakura. Suddenly, the pinkette's behavior around the moss-head made sense, and Nami gaped at the young woman sitting a few feet from her as it dawned on her. "Please don't tell me you're crushing on that idiot!"

Sakura couldn't help the blush that crept over her cheeks.

"You vixen!" Nami teased playfully. "I'd forget him if I were you though." she added in a more serious tone. "He's too boneheaded to even know what love is."

"I doubt that."

"I've been on Luffy's crew for almost a year. Trust me when I say this, but you'll have to search long and hard to find a more asexual person than Zoro. I've walked around in my skimpiest bikinis around that man and he has never ever even spared me a second glance."

"Maybe you're not his type?" Sakura offered and watched another scowl form on Nami's face.

"I doubt he even has a type. Sanji, in all his perverted glory, would be a better choice than the stupid swordsman. At least he shows his appreciation and '_love'_ of women. The only downside is that he's into _everyone_ with a pair of boobs. I mean, hell, he's even flirting with you!"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with being small in the boob department." she defended.

The look Nami sent her made her eye twitch in agitation.

"I have this bikini top that's too small for me. You can have it. Wear it around Zoro and see for yourself. He's not worthy of your time. I can guarantee that." Nami said while sitting up again and went to go through her drawer once more.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Nami obviously had no idea what Zoro's preferences were nor how _sexual_ he could be. A part of her danced in victory for having caught the swordsman's interest in the first place, and finding out that he hadn't been flirting with Nami only made her feel even more special.

A flimsy, red bikini-top landed in Sakura's lap moments later. She eyed it warily.

"Try it on."

The pinkette grabbed a hold of the thin fabric with her thumb and index finger and slowly lifted it up into the air while raising her eyebrows. "You expect me to wear this?"

"It looks better on. It's a halter-neck which you close at the front." Nami explained and snatched the top from Sakura. She showed her how to work it and held it up in front of the pinkette. "See?"

"How'd you even fit into _that_?"

"I didn't, but that made it all so much more awesome!" Nami beamed.

The ship suddenly rocked heavily to the side. Nami almost fell over from the impact, but managed to steady herself in the nick of time.

"Shit! I forgot about the storm!" she exclaimed and bolted to the door. "You should probably stay here. It'd be safer, I think."

Sakura watched the door close and copied Nami's earlier action by leaning back onto the bed as the ship rocked to the side a second time. Talking to the navigator had been refreshing even though the redhead kept insulting her. Nami reminded her a bit of her best friend Ino, who often pointed out how Sakura wasn't as curvy as the other girls of their generation and how she should dress more _daring_ to get men's attention. Sakura was however, not that type of girl. She had other things to worry about than her looks. She didn't want to be some man's prize or accessory. She wanted to be respected and loved for who she was rather than be judged by how she looked or dressed.

She thought back to their conversation about Zoro. Was it possible to change ones personality when suffering from amnesia? Nami never got to the point of telling her _how_ he had changed, just stating that he had been acting differently. Sakura had noticed how he was often alone, but even so, he didn't seem broody to her. He had no problem joining in on their conversations either when they were all gathered.

Her mind went to the new information she had gathered. Did he remember Kuina? Did he remember _why_ he wanted to be the greatest swordsman in the world? Was he remembering more things that he didn't share with her because they bothered him or because he simply did not want her to know?

A sigh left her lips. She sat up and let her legs dangle over the edge of the bed while fingering the red fabric of the bikini-top. She pulled her sweater off and unclasped her bra before slipping the bikini on. She'd prove once and for all that Nami was wrong about Zoro and that it was okay to be _small_. Glancing down at herself, she raised her brows when seeing the slight lift of her breasts and how they appeared fuller than normal when stuffed into the top. A smirk made its way onto her lips. She'd be giving him hell by wearing this.

She pulled her sweater back over her head and went to look through her own drawer of clothes. There should be a pair of red panties somewhere among her clothing. Once she found them, she quickly slipped them on before dressing herself again and headed out into the hall. The ship jolted a third time and she could clearly hear Nami ordering the men around from above. Water was dripping from a crack in the ceiling, so she sidestepped it and continued on to the hatch leading to the deck. While she didn't know much about boats, she was confident enough in her own strength and was sure she could be of some use because of that.

Water sprayed over her head the moment she opened the hatch and climbed out, making her pink hair cling to her head and face. She brushed some of the strands away from her face and looked around.

"Sakura!" she heard Nami yell from the helm. "Grab that rope and tie it to the nearest pin. Don't forget to make sure it's steady! The storm should pass soon."

Sakura nodded and did as she was told… for once.

* * *

The wind had died down. The ocean spread around the ship like a calm, blue blanket. Two seagulls circled over the crow's nest before one of them dove into the water only to emerge again with a fish in its beak. The two birds flew off, disappearing into the distance and left the pirates, Sakura and Chopper with no other sound than the clucking of water against the wooden vessel.

"I thought I was gonna die! Usopp exclaimed dramatically from his spread out position on the damp sun deck.

"But you didn't!" Luffy laughed while looking around at his crew mates. "Thanks for assisting us, Sakura."

"Don't mention it, Luffy." she replied as she laid down as well. Her muscles were aching from the strain she had put them through. She hadn't been training or sparring for weeks and it had shown during the storm.

Sanji had gone to make the crew something to drink while they waited for dinner to be served. Nami was still at the helm, making sure they were still on course. The blue sweater she had worn was hanging over the railing to dry in the warmth of the sun. The tanuki ran between the six people, making sure they were alright and not hurting in any way and Zoro had taken his usual spot by the mast.

"Good job everyone!" Nami complimented as she descended from the helm. "We should be arriving at Alabasta in less than a week." she added and went to fetch her sun lounger.

Luffy looked at the navigator with a smile spreading on his lips. "I can't wait to go on new adventures!"

The redhead shook her head. "There will be no adventures, Luffy. We're only staying until the log pose sets and then we're off again."

He pouted. "But Nami...!"

"I said no!"

Sakura grinned as she listened to the two. Suddenly a shadow fell over her so she opened one eye to look at whoever was shielding her from the sun.

"Mademoiselle~" Sanji bowed slightly as she handed her a lemon-colored drink with a strawberry placed along the rim of the glass.

"Oh! Thank you, Sanji-kun."

He gave her a hearty smile before walking over to where Nami was sitting and handed her a drink as well. Nami gladly accepted it and took a sip of the lemony drink before leaning back to enjoy the sun.

"Usopp!" Luffy yelled. The sniper lifted his head to look at his captain. "Let's try and catch some fish!"

"Yosh!" the sniper sprinted across the deck and joined Luffy at the stern.

"You'll shoot and I'll catch 'em!" Luffy told the long-nosed male while adjusting his straw hat. Usopp nodded in agreement. Chopper came to stand in between the two. Excitement gleamed in his eyes. The game was on.

Sakura leaned against the railing while enjoying the warm sun and Sanji's drink. Nami peered at the doctor-to-be through half-lidded eyes and cleared her throat to get the pinkette's attention. When Sakura turned to look at the navigator, Nami tilted her head to the side, motioning for Sakura to make her move on the swordsman. They were alone since Sanji was in the kitchen and the other three were catching fish. Sakura shook her head. Was this really a good idea?

"Are you wearing it?" Nami whispered loud enough for her to hear.

Sakura lifted her shirt to show the red bikini-top hidden beneath the fabric. Nami grinned.

"Go get him, tiger."

Sakura rolled her eyes and set her glass down on the wooden deck. "Fine." she mouthed and pulled her almost dry sweater off and tossed it at the redhead. Standing up, she yanked her pants down and received an approving nod from Nami. '_I can't believe I'm doing this.'_

The soft breeze of the wind slid over her exposed skin as she silently made her way over to where Zoro was snoozing. His shirt laid discarded by his side, completely drenched in water from the previous storm. His swords laid in a neat pile next to it. She bit her lip nervously and crouched down in front of him.

"Zoro," her voice was soft and muted when she said his name. "are you awake?"

His chest rose and fell as he breathed in through his nose. Strong arms were wrapped over his midsection, the tanned skin glinting in the vast sunlight.

Sakura glanced at Nami who was keeping a close eye on the pinkette with an _I told you so_ look on her face.

"Zo-"

"Nami-swan! Sakura-chw- sweet lord have mercy!" Sanji's voice was cut short by a thumping sound, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

Sakura quickly rose to her feet and turned to look at the blonde who had tripped and fallen down the stairs from the kitchen. Zoro opened one eye to glare at the blonde, irritated for having been disrupted of his sleep and was met by the sight of a nearly naked behind not too far away from him. He let his eyes wander up the pale back of the person standing a foot away from him, seeing a three inches wide red band stretching around the woman, right below her shoulder blades. His eyes widened a fraction when seeing a red band tied around the woman's neck, partly covered by shoulder-length pink hair.

"Sakura," his voice came out in a hoarse whisper and he mentally slapped himself for not keeping his emotions in check.

Sakura turned her head to look down at him. An embarrassed blush tinted her cheeks. "Hey…" she smiled shyly and turned around to fully face him, completely ignoring the pained groans from the cook.

Zoro's lips parted slightly as he took in the front of her outfit.

"You like?" she asked quietly while shyly peering down at her lover.

He nodded twice and had to force himself to look back up at her face. "Very much."

Sakura sat down next to Zoro and leaned her back against the mast. A gasp left her lips when her warm skin came into contact with the still damp wood. "Shit!"

"Cold?"

She glanced at him. "A little."

He pulled her halfway onto his lap. Her butt rested against the deck in between his legs while her legs were draped over his right one.

Nami stared at the swordsman with her brows raised high. To say she was surprised would be an understatement. "I'll be damned." she muttered quietly to herself while a grin spread on her lips.

"So…" he spoke softly and let his eyes drop to her cleavage.

"It was Nami's idea," Sakura explained, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks again.

"Is that so?" he quirked a brow and glanced at the navigator. "What did she say?"

"You're asexual."

He laughed at that which made her lips quirk upward in a smile. "I don't know about that," he murmured with a hint of amusement lingering in his voice.

"Apparently you don't show any interest in women, or didn't before the… accident." she bit her lip while looking him in the eyes.

"Maybe I hadn't found the one to capture my attention."

Sakura blushed and looked down at her hands resting atop of her bare thighs. Her heart was racing inside of her chest. Was it possible he shared her feelings? He hadn't straight out told her yet, so she wasn't a hundred percent sure.

Zoro smirked and snaked his arms around her waist while she leaned into his chest and felt him resting his chin on top of her head.

"So, you wanted to prove her wrong."

"Not entirely. She insulted my… I mean, she said I couldn't- that I wasn't… feminine enough to… I don't even know." she sighed exasperatedly.

"Hn," he held her protectively while feeling her soft fingertips tracing the outline of his right bicep. This side of her was new to him. Up until now she had seemed confident in her own skin, a trait he had found sexy and admirable. This uncertain woman he currently had on his lap felt like a stranger to him. What exactly had happened between Sakura and Nami after he had left? While he didn't trust Nami, he didn't really picture her as cruel. Was this normal between two women? Were there some sort of rivalry between the two he hadn't noticed?

After a moment of silence and heavy thinking he nuzzled his face in her hair. "I think you're beautiful, Sakura."

She scoffed and tried shaking her head, but couldn't move it much since his was resting on top of hers. From the corner of his eye he saw the blonde finally standing up to dust himself off with an angry glare thrown at them. A victorious smirk made its way onto Zoro's lips at the sight, but instead of rubbing it in he turned his focus back to the pinkette.

"I don't know what she said, but she's wrong." he murmured while brushing his thumb over a spot on her arm.

She knew he was right, and it bothered her that Nami's words actually bothered her. "I love you." she whispered almost incoherently, but he heard her. She knew he wouldn't say it back. She just knew.

"Sakura," his voice was low and muted. She felt her heart jumping in her chest by the way her name rolled off his tongue. A blush tinted her cheeks as she lifted her head to look at him with a questioning look on her face. "I love _you_."

She stared at him, eyes wide open in surprise. "What?" she whispered and felt him twist a strand of hair around his finger. _'Did he just say what I think he said?'_ she asked herself. Surely, she was imagining things. Her eyes flickered in between his black orbs.

A low chuckle left his lips while his eyes watched her amusedly. "I love you." he repeated and saw a shy smile spread on her lips while her blush deepened.

"I-" she started but was cut off by Luffy cheering at the stern. The two lovers turned in the direction of the captain's voice.

"Yahoo! We got fish! It's a big one!"

Sakura shook her head, an amused smile played on her lips. Zoro eyed her for a moment, her pink hair caressed his hand as it got caught by a soft gust of the wind. She was truly a remarkable woman. He tilted her head toward his with the hand in her hair and planted a tender kiss on her lips. She had no idea how deeply he cared for her, but he would show her in time. That was a promise he made to himself.

* * *

**A/N:** Did anyone else go 'awwww' or was it just me? I'm a sucker for romance, so... tehee ^^  
Love it? Hate it? Let me know.


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